Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard, left, guards against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, right, during the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 25, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, right, drives as Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard, second from front right, guards against him during the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 25, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Bucks’ Lillard leaves Game 4 of Pacers series with injury to his lower left leg
MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥 Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard left Game 4 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers on Sunday after getting helped off the court and into the locker room in the first quarter.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard, left, guards against Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith, right, during the second half in Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 25, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥 Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard left Game 4 of an Eastern Conference first-round playoff series with the Indiana Pacers on Sunday after getting helped off the court and into the locker room in the first quarter.
The preliminary examination of Lillard indicated a possible Achilles tendon injury, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
Further evaluation will take place Monday, the person told the AP on condition of anonymity because the team did not immediately reveal those details.
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鈥淭hey’re going to do an image tomorrow,鈥 Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said after . 鈥淥bviously, it’s lower leg. And, just being honest, it’s not very promising.鈥
The non-contact injury occurred midway through the first quarter. The Bucks announced later in the first half that the seven-time all-NBA guard had hurt his lower left leg and wouldn鈥檛 return to the game.
This latest injury comes after Lillard had made a from in his right calf to play in the postseason. The calf issue had caused Lillard to miss the Bucks’ final 14 regular-season games as well as the opening game of this series.
The seven-time all-NBA player was behind the 3-point line around the top of the key midway through the first quarter when the ball bounced toward him. Lillard used his left hand to tip the ball toward teammate Gary Trent Jr., then went down and grabbed the lower part of his left leg, around his ankle. He continued to sit on the floor as play resumed on the other end of the court.
After a foul stopped play, Milwaukee鈥檚 Kyle Kuzma helped Lillard up. Lillard then started limping and had to be helped off the court and into the locker room.
Lillard’s previous injury involved his other leg. That previous injury required him to go on blood-thinning medication to treat his an abnormal clot within a vessel where the congealing of blood blocks the flow through on the way back to the heart.
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He was taken off the blood-thinning medication and cleared to resume full basketball activities at the end of the regular season, and he for Game 2 of this series on Tuesday.
The Bucks have endured all sorts of postseason injuries since winning a title in 2021.
missed an entire seven-game to Boston in 2022 with a sprained medial collateral ligament. Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee鈥檚 first playoff game in 2023 and didn鈥檛 return until Game 4 of a first-round series to the Miami Heat. In the Bucks鈥 to Indiana last year, at all because of a calf strain and Lillard missed two games with an Achilles injury.
The Bucks trailed this best-of-seven series 2-1 heading into Game 4.
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AP Pro Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds contributed to this report.
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