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Jayson Tatum exits narrow Team USA victory with an ankle injury

America got the win, but at what cost?

2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup - USA v Turkey Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images

Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker took over the overtime period as Team USA pulled out a tight 93-92 victory over Turkey in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. However, in the midst of his heroics, Jayson Tatum sustained an ankle injury on his way to passing to Khris Middleton for the game-winning free-throws.

Tatum was assisted to the locker room after getting up on his own. Thankfully, this appears to be a case of a twisted ankle more than anything. The hope is that it’s not a high ankle sprain and that Tatum will be just fine after a little rest and recuperation. While it was great seeing Tatum and Walker take ownership of Team USA with clutch play down the stretch, this is a potentially harsh reminder of how risky it can be to play for Team USA and why so many stars backed out this summer.

Tatum played 31 minutes and finished the game with 11 points on 3/11 shooting, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Today, he’s a national hero for his clutch moments. Tomorrow, hopefully, he’s healthy.

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