While the Boston Celtics have their eyes set on punching their second-round ticket on Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks are bracing themselves for a major setback involving nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard.
Lillard made a first-quarter exit after going down with a non-contact injury while trying to corral a rebound. The 34-year-old awkwardly hobbled and remained seated on the court before assistance was required to get Lillard off the floor. The Bucks ruled Lillard out for the remainder of Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers and the fear is that he suffered a left Achilles tear, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes — which would ruled Lillard out for the remainder of the playoffs.
Milwaukee’s loss of Lillard signals the start of its crashing finish to the 2024-25 season. The Bucks dropped Game 4 to the Pacers, 129-103, putting Indiana ahead in the series, 3-1. Without Lillard, who climbed back from a 14-game absence to end the regular season due to a blood clot in his right leg, Milwaukee is left with two options: muster up a historical comeback to prevent its third straight first-round exit or accept it’s time to transition to the offseason. The Bucks haven’t reached the Eastern Conference finals since their Larry O’Brien Trophy capture four years ago.
Meanwhile, the front office has endured various threats from two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s already considered leaving the Bucks. Lillard was the organization’s response to Antetokounmpo’s initial threat to flee Milwaukee and while it was warranted, it hasn’t aged well for the franchise. Lillard’s below-average defense has taken a toll on the team amid its pursuit to repair the defensive identity that propelled the Bucks to their NBA Finals win over the Phoenix Suns in 2021. Plus, watching Jrue Holiday — who Milwaukee traded to acquire Lillard — flourish with the conference-rival Celtics has only added insult to injury for the Bucks over the past two seasons.
Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has struggled to get the team shake off its underachiever label since the start of the season. Milwaukee sunk to the 11th seed after its first 15 games of the campaign, presenting Rivers and the coaching staff with an unforeseen challenge. The Bucks secured the No. 5 seed (48-34) in the East which was slighty below the team’s expectations but gave them a fighting chance as members of the contender’s circle this postseason. Now, those chances have quickly faded.
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Lillard is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday, which will give the Bucks a more clear picture of the severity of his injury.
Featured image via Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images
