In a night marred by adversity for the Milwaukee Bucks, the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo was compounded by a frightening injury to their second superstar, Damian Lillard, during Game 3 against the Pacers.
As the Bucks fell 121-118 in overtime, head coach Doc Rivers shed light on the concerning incident that saw Lillard escorted to the locker room.
Expressing grave concerns for the Bucks, Rivers hinted at the severity of Lillard’s injury, stating, “I think it’s his Achilles again, so we’ll see.” The news comes as a significant blow for Milwaukee, already grappling with Giannis’ calf injury.
After the game, Damian Lillard clarified that his Achilles aggravation occurred on this play at the end of regulation and not on the foul by Pascal Siakam in the first quarter.
(You can see Lillard wince as he goes to pick up Patrick Beverley.) pic.twitter.com/M4nnU43Nqa
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 27, 2024
Detailing Lillard’s condition further, Rivers revealed, “Honestly, Dame was really struggling. In the overtime, he literally said, ‘I’ll be the decoy. I just can’t go as far as explosion.’ So I thought Dame just being out there was huge for us.”
Doc Rivers, on Damian Lillard: "I think it's his Achilles again, so we'll see."
Rivers: "Honestly, Dame was really struggling. In the overtime, he literally said, 'I'll be the decoy. I just can't go as far as explosion.' So I thought Dame just being out there was huge for us."
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 27, 2024
But what led to Damian Lillard’s ankle injury?
With less than three minutes remaining in the first quarter, Lillard, battling through discomfort, was confronted by Pascal Siakam of the Pacers. As Siakam contested Lillard’s layup attempt, he inadvertently landed on the left ankle of the 8-time All-Star, causing Lillard to crumple to the floor and subsequently exit the game.
Despite briefly returning to the court, Lillard’s performance was evidently hindered by the injury, casting doubts over his availability and effectiveness moving forward.
