Watch Jayson Tatum Drop Team-High 27 Points in Team USA’s Win Over the Czech Republic

Team USA needed a win on Saturday morning to guarantee a birth into the knockout round and they did not disappoint. After being outscored in the first quarter 25-18, the Americans cruised to a 119-84 win over the Czech Republic.

Jayson Tatum was the star of the game. He led all scorers with 27 points on 62.5% shooting from the field and 50% shooting from three. It was Tatum’s highest scoring output with Team USA since he started playing in major international competitions in 2019. He put up those impressive numbers despite continuing to come off the bench for Team USA during these Olympics.

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— @tresmasunoht (@tresmasunoht) July 31, 2021

He didn’t do much else in the game, adding only two rebounds and one assist to his stat line in just under 24 minutes of action. After his fantastic performance, Kevin Durant bestowed high praise on the Celtics young star. Durant said in a postgame interview that he expects Tatum to one day pass him as Team USA’s all-time leading scorer, a title Durant claimed during Saturday’s game.

Kevin Durant says, in part, of becoming Team USA's all-time leading scorer in the Olympics, "This guy to the left (Jayson Tatum), I think he's going to be the next one to break that record."

— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) July 31, 2021

Team USA will move on to the knockout round. They’ll play Tuesday with their next opponent still yet to be determined.

Photo: (Eric Gay – AP Photo)