Damian Lillard injury update: Bucks guard leaves game in first quarter

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard will NOT return to Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers after leaving in the first quarter with a non-contact leg injury, according to Chris Haynes, who said the injury is "potentially severe."

Lillard immediately grabbed the back of his lower left leg, and immediately went to the locker room with help. This is not the same leg that Lillard had deep vein thrombosis in, which caused him to miss Game 1 of this series.

Damian Lillard leaves Game 4 with lower leg injury

Less than six minutes into the Bucks Game 4 showdown with the Pacers, Damian Lillard went down with a non-contact injury after he tried to grab a loose ball after a missed shot. Lillard stayed on the ground while the Pacers ran back on offense, and Bucks coach Doc Rivers had his team take a foul. Lillard was helped up, immediately left the court and headed back to the Bucks locker room.

I'm not going to speculate on what this injury was because I think that's somewhat irresponsible, but any non-contact injury is scary, especially for older point guards like Lillard. All of Milwaukee — and NBA fans in general — are holding their collective breaths.

Lillard has struggled with injuries the past few years

After being somewhat of a workhorse during his early years in Portland, Lillard has dealt with some injury problems in recent years, including abdominal surgery in 2022.

Wear and tear is not uncommon for point guards over 30 years old; when speed and athleticism are such important parts of a player's game, it's natural for their bodies to wear down after a while.

Here's to hoping Lillard's injury is just another example of that, and not something more serious.