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AJ Griffin was Duke’s biggest 3-point threat as a member of the Duke basketball team last season. Blue demonshot 44.7 percent from downtown and averaged 10.4 points per game, before being selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 16th overall pick in the NBA draft.
But in summer league in July, the 6-foot-6, 220-pound small forward was completely unable to play for the Hawks due to a sore right foot. A sprained ankle last month limited Griffin’s performance in training camp.
Finally, on Saturday, in Atlanta’s preseason opener Abu Dhabi win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Griffin played just one minute, giving Griffin a chance to play at the NBA level, not just is sweeping. The 19-year-old former five-star recruit played 25 minutes — the second-most on the team — and made the most of it.
AJ Griffin finished the game in a 118-109 win for the Eagles, 4-of-8 from the field, 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and 2-of-3 for 13 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal for a charity stripe.
Another NBA Blue Devil on the Eagles’ preseason roster, Jalen Johnson, who was halfway through the 2020-21 season, did not travel to Abu Dhabi (due to a non-COVID illness).
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As for the former Duke basketball player on the Bucks’ preseason roster, returning starter Grayson Allen and regular-season hopeful Max Bolden, they all played. Allen totaled 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 16 minutes on the floor; Bolden had just one point and two rebounds in seven minutes off the bench.
There are no other NBA preseason games on Saturday.
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