Coach K Gets 1 K

Make no mistake: Mike Krzyzewski is proud of his 1,000 wins. Just don't expect him to keep chasing milestones much longer.

"There's an end in sight. I'm going to be 68 next month. It'll end sooner than later," he said.

Krzyzewski became the first NCAA Division I men's coach to get 1,000 wins when No. 5 Duke surged past St. John's late in the second half Sunday for a 77-68 victory at Madison Square Garden.

Tyus Jones scored 22 points and the Blue Devils (17-2) went on an 18-2 run down the stretch to put Coach K in four figures on his first try.

"There will be others that win more, but it is kind of neat to be the first one to 1,000," he said.

Coach 1K. How grand, indeed.

Krzyzewski shared the moment with his family, pointing out that two of his three daughters and seven of his nine grandchildren were in attendance as he spoke in the postgame interview room.

But he could do without all the recent hoopla and individual adulation.

"I'm glad it's over," Krzyzewski said. "There have been so many articles written. There were things written that I didn't even know about me.

"Now, no more stories about my past or whatever," he pleaded. "Enough is enough."

Jahlil Okafor had 17 points and 10 rebounds, combining with Jones and Quinn Cook (17 points) to fuel the decisive spurt after Duke trailed by 10 with 8:15 remaining.

That's when the Blue Devils finally began to look like a Krzyzewski-coached team, picking up their defense and hustling to loose balls as he urged them on from one knee in front of the bench. Duke outworked the Red Storm (13-6) on the glass and held them without a field goal for 6 pivotal minutes.

"It just, boom! It was great," Krzyzewski said. "It was beautiful, really, to see them fight today and win."

When the final horn sounded, Blue Devils players engulfed Krzyzewski and he received a bear hug from top assistant Jeff Capel. Photographers swarmed the coach on the court, and players were given T-shirts that read "1,000 Wins And Kounting."

"It's a great feeling. Winning in the fashion that we did for Coach's big game, it's really special," junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon said.

A public-address announcement offered congratulations to Krzyzewski, and Duke fans at a packed Garden chanted his name.

"I'm not sure I've ever been a part of a game like that. That's kind of nuts, huh?" Krzyzewski said. "It just seemed like three different games."