WORLD OF PAIN: Rick Pitino reaches down to Kevn Ware as he is tended to by medical personnel after suffering a gruesome broken leg during the first half of Louisville’s 85-63 win over Duke last night. (
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INDIANAPOLIS — Lying on the court in front of the Louisville bench at Lucas Oil Stadium, Kevin Ware’s bone was sticking out of his shattered right leg.
“He kept chanting, ‘Just win the game, just win the game,’ ” coach Rick Pitino said. “And we did for him.”
It was a parade of Louisville heart last night and a demonstration of intensity and dominance that delivered as impressive a win by any team in the NCAA Tournament this year. The Cardinals barreled their way into the Final Four, overcoming Ware’s gruesome broken leg in the first half by taking Duke apart in the second half for an 85-63 triumph.
Initially visibly distraught, Louisville was inspired by Ware. And behind a roaring crowd, the top-seeded Cardinals captured the Midwest Regional and will face Wichita State in the national semifinals.
There’s only one top seed that made it to Atlanta. It’s Louisville, unquestionably the championship favorite.
“We just came together, and Kevin Ware really was the reason why we pulled this game out,” point guard Peyton Siva said. “He told us countless times: ‘Just go win this game for me. Just go win this game. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Just go win this game.’
“I don’t know how he did it. I don’t know how he got the strength to do it, but he told us to go out there and win.”
On the court afterward, forward Chane Behanan held up Ware’s No. 5 jersey to the fans, and players chanted “Kev-in.” Pitino then asked the fans to do it, and Lucas Oil obliged. Later in postgame, Siva wore Ware’s jersey.
A Bronx native who went to high school in Georgia, Ware was sent to Methodist Hospital after the injury. Pitino and others planned to stay overnight.
Louisville announced Ware had successful surgery with the bone reset and the wound closed. Ware, who also had a rod placed in his tibia, wants to be with his teammates in Atlanta for the Final Four.
Louisville has reached consecutive Final Fours and won 14 straight games, and while last night’s score didn’t reflect it, this was as difficult a test as Louisville could face. Duke probably could have been a No. 1 seed but beyond the opponent’s strength, Louisville had to surge on after losing Ware with 6:33 left in the first half, an injury so ugly that Pitino began crying and multiple Cardinals were emotionally distraught.
How Louisville managed to play on was remarkable. Credit Pitino, Siva (who piloted a nearly flawless game) and Most Outstanding Player Russ Smith (game-high 23 points).
Ware’s injury occurred as he jumped to contest Tyler Thornton’s three. He landed awkwardly, fracturing his leg — the bone “literally out,” according to Behanan. Pitino said he “almost threw up” upon seeing the injury. Several Cardinals appeared panic-stricken, with Smith looking horrified.
“I kind of watched the guy shoot it and he stumbled a bit for a second and fell,” forward Luke Hancock said, “and his leg wasn’t where it should be.”
Ware was wheeled off on a stretcher, later tweeting: “I’ll be fine. All I’m thinking about is the Cardinals getting the W!”
The question was how Louisville would manage to play over the next 26-plus minutes. Siva led a prayer after Ware was wheeled off, and Hancock admitted: “My mind was not on basketball for a while.”
Following the injury, the Cardinals outscored Duke 14-12 to close the half.
According to Smith, Pitino’s halftime message was: “Let’s not lose. Don’t lose this game for Kevin Ware.”
Tied at 42 with 15:45 left, Louisville erupted with a game-turning 20-4 run.
“I thought we had a chance there, and then boom. And that’s what they do to teams,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “They can boom you.”
Louisville declined to cut down the nets, dismissing it as unimportant. As Behanan said: “We just want the big one.”
“We just couldn’t lose this game for [Ware],” Pitino said. “We just couldn’t.”