2 min read • April 28, 2024
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Update: Damian Lillard missed Game 4 and 5 after he aggravated an Achilles tendon injury late in the fourth quarter of Friday's 121-118 overtime loss to the Pacers. Lillard was seen with a walking boot on his right foot Saturday.
The Milwaukee Bucks superstar guard will miss time due to an Achilles re-aggravation sustained during Game 3. The incident occurred when Lillard went down and grabbed his left knee after getting his heel/Achilles stepped on by a defender. This caused his shoe to flatten, leading to a limp-off. Although he returned to the game, which eventually went to overtime, his effectiveness was compromised. Head coach Doc Rivers noted that the injury was an aggravation of an existing Achilles issue, but the positive news is that it wasn't a complete rupture.
However, Lillard's underlying Achilles tendinitis and heel pain will make it difficult for him to play through the rest of the series with short recovery time.
Following Game 3, Lillard expressed concerns about his lack of explosiveness, acknowledging that he requested to be a decoy during the overtime period. His limited mobility and reduced effectiveness indicated the severity of the Achilles problem something that our Pro Basketball Docs expect to linger for the rest of the series. With the Indiana Pacers leading 2-1 in the series, the Milwaukee Bucks will have to cope with the absence of their two best players.
The injury to Lillard compounds the Milwaukee Bucks' injury woes, as they are already missing Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is out with a calf issue. The team's chances of advancing could be significantly affected by these injuries, especially with their reduced offensive firepower. The Bucks, once the number three seed, now face an uphill battle against the #6 seed Pacers.
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