Freshmen Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel made memorable debuts in the Tobacco Road rivalry as No. 2 Duke used a dominant first half to secure an 87-70 win over visiting North Carolina on Saturday night in Durham,

While the Nets tipped off Saturday night in Houston, the basketball world was looking elsewhere — at Tobacco Road, for Duke vs. North Carolina. They were watching the sport’s juiciest rivalry, a game that could produce five first-round picks — and the player most often mocked for the possibility that he will end up in Brooklyn.

Duke basketball star Cooper Flagg helped the team power past North Carolina, but the freshman is still critical of his performance.