Blue Devils’ Okafor settles in early in Final Four victory

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — For once, Jahlil Okafor didn’t have to contend with constant double teams.

Instead, Duke’s star freshman found himself with plenty of 1-on-1 opportunities in the first half against Michigan State on Saturday night, helping the Blue Devils’ offense settle into a flow on the way to an 81-61 win in the opening game of the Final Four.

The 6-foot-11, 270-pound Okafor finished with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, part of a balanced Blue Devils offense in a game that was theirs almost the entire way.

Okafor didn’t need to have a huge scoring night, not with his team shooting 51 percent from the field and causing numerous problems with its ability to spread the floor and penetrate.

Still, Okafor had his moments as a big component in Duke’s dominant performance.