It was a small gesture meant to shield the North Carolina veteran from additional scrutiny after his lane violation with 4.1 seconds to play erased a made free throw that would have tied the score, sending the Tar Heels to a third loss to Duke this season,

The Tar Heels lost a game-tying free throw against rival Duke, which was playing without likely NBA top pick Cooper Flagg, on a lane violation with 4.1 seconds left in their ACC tournament semifinal game. They went on to lose 74-71, ending their final chance to improve a lackluster March Madness résumé.