Jayson Tatum Sprained Ankle in USA's Win vs. Turkey; Injury to Be Re-Evaluated

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum suffered a sprained left ankle Tuesday in the final seconds of Team USA's 93-92 overtime victory over Turkey in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup in China.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Tatum will be re-evaluated Wednesday. He later spoke to reporters, saying he feels better than when the injury occurred. He was walking under his own power, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

The 21-year-old Duke product struggled from the field as he connected on just three of his 11 attempts, but he still posted a solid overall stat line with 11 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. He also made two of three free throws at the end of regulation to force OT.

Team USA, which is short on star power after a mass exodus of high-profile players from the preliminary roster, is leaning heavily on the Celtics duo of Tatum and Kemba Walker, while Boston teammates Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown are key reserves.

The tournament is a chance for the Celtics to start building chemistry that was notably absent last season as the Kyrie Irving-led squad fell well short of expectations. Walker was brought in to fill the void as Irving left to sign with the Brooklyn Nets.

"I'm all about the togetherness," Walker told reporters about getting to know his new teammates while playing for the U.S. "I've always felt that your off-the-court relationships translate on the court. I've always felt that way; I've always been big on that."

Losing Tatum for any significant period of time would be another blow to the United States' championship hopes.

The St. Louis native is coming off a season where he averaged 15.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 45 percent from the field across 79 appearances for the C's.

Team USA clinched a berth in the second round with Tuesday's win, so it's highly unlikely Tatum will see the floor for the Group E finale against Japan on Thursday.

The second round will run through Monday before the knockout stages kick off next Tuesday. Tomorrow's update should provide a clearer picture of when the Celtics forward could return, if at all.

Brown should see the biggest uptick in playing time while his NBA teammate is sidelined.