"We haven't pulled it out too much in the games": Kon Knueppel tells Isaiah Evans about his chemistry with 7'2 Duke star as duo destroys Georgia Tech

Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach came together for a double-digit scoring shootout as the Duke Blue Devils won 82-56 over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday in Atlanta. Knueppel finished with 18 points, four rebounds and five assists, while Maluach had 15 points and eight rebounds.

After the game, guard Isaiah Evans interviewed Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg in the locker room. When talking about his and Maluach's chemistry on the court, Knueppel said:

"It's something we see in a lot of practice but we haven't pulled it out too much in the games, the Kon-Khaman connection."

The players also spoke about a particular moment when Maluach bodied a dunk from one of Knueppel's assists.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer praised the freshman guard for his performance as the Blue Devils took the lead in the ACC standings with a 2-0 record.

"I thought for us, in the second half, we found a great thing – not that it was new – but Kon [Knueppel] and the decisions that he made, I think it's such a great lesson for any freshman or young player," Scheyer said (via 247 Sports).

"He's played well, he just hasn't hit shots he normally does. I think it drove him nuts a little bit. But he's worked his butt off. He's made others better, he's tough, he rebounds, and at some point, the shooting is going to come with it. I thought he played a great overall game, not just the shooting."

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Kon Knueppel's comments on his bounce-back after a period of slump

Kon Knueppel had a 22-point debut against Maine in the season opener, but his production gradually went down as the season progressed. Against George Mason on Tuesday, Knueppel finished with eight points and five rebounds on a 3-of-7 shooting from the floor.

On Saturday, the guard was efficient in his shooting, going 7-of-11 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from beyond the arc. When talking to the press after the game, Knueppel commented on his slump, saying:

"Yeah, it was definitely the worst slump of my life. It was a rough couple of games. But I was trying to find ways to affect the game in other ways. I just felt like I was making a couple shots, here and there, but you can't worry about them.

"I thought last game I was worrying about it a little too much. You've got to have a next play mentality and be tough that way. I tried to do that and have a bunch of fun today."

The Blue Devils will be taking their holiday break next week. They are scheduled to host Virginia Tech on Dec. 31.