"Poetic justice": Duke fans show love to Jaylen Blakes after Stanford star reminds North Carolina of his roots

In an intense finish on Saturday, Jaylen Blakes, a former Duke basketball player now with Stanford, became the hero in a 72-71 victory over the University of North Carolina. During his time at Duke, he saw limited action against the Tar Heels, playing just five minutes over two games without scoring.

After the game, Blakes shared his thoughts on hitting the game-winning shot in a X/Twitter video posted on the page Zion O, saying:

"I still have Duke blood in me, so it’s still GTHC. "

Blakes also mentioned being inspired by one of Duke’s most memorable moments:

"I was in my hotel room thinking about Austin Rivers’ shot."

This sentiment added a nostalgic touch to his victory, especially among Duke fans, who showed their support with reactions. One tweeted:

"Poetic Justice for J Blakes!"

"Love it, " another fan tweeted.

"Great kid, " someone else said.

"Anyone debating the best rivalry in sports….watch this! Duke blood, " another fan said.

"Bro visualized that shot in Duke uniform," some other fan said.

"Love Blakes!" another tweet reads.

"Him over Love" someone else tweeted.

"Y’all Super Bowl !" another fan said.

With only 7.7 seconds remaining in the game, Stanford trailed 71-70. Blakes then ran up the court and nailed a jumper in front of the Cardinal bench, securing Stanford's first-ever win at Chapel Hill and snapping a 13-game losing streak against UNC.

The victory was especially sweet for Blakes given his Duke background. After spending three years at Duke before transferring to Stanford, he never forgot the intensity of the rivalry between the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels.

Jaylen Blakes' rising momentum on the court

Blakes was instrumental in Stanford’s first-ever win against UNC, finishing with 20 points, seven assists and four rebounds. His leadership was crucial as the Cardinal closed out the game strong, scoring 11 of the final 16 points.

While Blakes was key, he was not alone in making big plays. Maxime Raynaud, Stanford’s towering 7-footer, also had a standout game. He put up 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, giving the Tar Heels trouble throughout the night.

In the final minutes of the game, Stanford’s resilience came to the forefront. While UNC held a five-point lead with 4:23 left on the clock, the Cardinal didn’t back down. They capitalized on late-game opportunities, with Blakes playing a pivotal role. After a back-and-forth battle, Blakes’ jumper with 1.5 seconds left sealed the deal for Stanford.

Stanford’s win over UNC is a clear indication that the Cardinal are finding their stride in the ACC. For the Tar Heels, the loss was a hard-fought setback. RJ Davis led UNC with 19 points, while Ven-Allen Lubin and Elliot Cadeau contributed 13 and 12 points, respectively.