Brooklyn Nets: Dzanan Musa injures ankle in World Cup qualifying play

TARRYTOWN, NY – AUGUST 12: Dzanan Musa #30 of the Brooklyn Nets poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

After some scary initial reports of an Achilles injury, it appears Brooklyn Nets rookie Dzanan Musa came away from a nasty fall Sunday with an injured ankle.

Brooklyn Nets rookie guard Dzanan Musa went down in a heap Sunday, late in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s 85-80 loss to the Czech Republic in FIBA World Cup qualifying play in Sarajevo.

Initial reports were that the 19-year-old first-round pick had injured his Achilles, but later reports were more promising, with Musa tweeting his relief that he had injured a right ankle and would be ready for the start of training camp later this month.

More from Nothin' But Nets

Musa was hurt attempting a drive to the basket with 22 seconds remaining in the game and was helped off the court.

Musa is the second Nets player to be injured while playing this offseason. Forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson strained his left adductor in July while playing in Jeremy Lin‘s exhibition benefit game in China.

According to Brian Lewis of the New York Post, Musa traveled to Europe for this window of second-round play in the European qualifying tournament with Nets assistant coach Pablo Prigioni and a member of the team’s performance staff.

Musa was leaving Sarajevo to return to New York on Sunday.

The play ended what was an up-and-down performance for Musa against the more-experienced Czech squad, which improved to 7-1 in group play and clinched a spot in the field for the FIBA World Cup in China next year.

Musa played 31 minutes and scored 15 points with four assists. But he also had four turnovers and was just 4-for-13 from the field and 1-for-7 from long range.

Musa showed many of the same gifts — and concerns — noted in Thursday’s game in Espoo, Finland. Armed with an explosive first step and the ability to get to the rim with relative ease, Musa’s inexperience can lead him to make bad decisions off the dribble.

Specifically, he far too often looks to the referees to bail him out after he puts himself in a bad situation.

Live Feed

Detroit Pistons: Bruce Brown trade an indicator of looking forward /

Detroit Jock City

Nets pull off a trade, but not the one you're thinkingFanSided

Brooklyn Nets are still growing with new young teammates Empire Writes Back

Brooklyn Nets: Best candidates for 2018-19 NBA awardsHoops Habit

Brooklyn Nets: Complete 2018 offseason gradesHoops Habit

Brooklyn Nets: 5 goals for Dzanan Musa's rookie seasonHoops Habit

That trait is not uncommon among players who are used to dominating at lower levels of competition, but it is something Musa needs to outgrow quickly, because rookies don’t get star calls in the NBA.

His jump shot is very much a work in progress. Musa tends to shoot quickly — too quickly at times — and doesn’t always get his shooting hand completely behind the ball, which then affects the spin — more diagonal than the desired backspin.

The loss just about ended Bosnia and Herzegovina’s hopes for qualifying for China. At 2-6, Bosnia is last in Group K, two games behind Russia — which currently holds the third and final qualifying spot in the group. France is also 7-1, but has not quite clinched a berth.

Finland, which beat Bosnia on Thursday, is 4-4 and Bulgaria is 3-5. In other action within the group on Sunday, France beat Finland 83-67 at Montpellier, France, and Russia topped Bulgaria in Moscow, 77-73.

Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic shouldered much of the load for Bosnia on Sunday, finishing with 19 points, 15 rebounds, three steals and three blocks. But he also had five turnovers and played 30 minutes in part due to foul trouble.

Tomas Satoransky of the Washington Wizards led the Czechs with 22 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists. Blake Schilb, an American player who joined the Czech Republic national team in 2015 after becoming naturalized through marriage, added 20 points.

The next window in qualifying play is Nov. 30 and Dec. 3, making it unlikely Musa will return for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Group play in the European qualifiers concludes on Feb. 21 and 24, with the top three teams in each of the four groups advancing.

Next. 25 greatest individual games in Nets history. dark

Germany and Greece, playing in Group L, have already punched their tickets for China. Both squads are 8-0, with Lithuania (7-0) potentially clinching a spot Monday when they host the Netherlands in Vilnius, Lithuania.