The Milwaukee Bucks’ 129–103 Game 4 loss to the Indiana Pacers might have been the final nail in the coffin for what has become a disaster of a 2024–2025 season.
In what felt like their last stand to avoid going down 3–1, Bucks fans didn’t just witness a collapse — they watched a team unravel. And it started with a scene no one wanted to see: just minutes into the first quarter, Damian Lillard grabbed his knee and fell to the court, writhing in obvious pain.
Damian Lillard’s comeback, crushed
Just three weeks earlier, Lillard had been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis — an injury that usually ends a player’s season, if not worse. Against all odds, he returned for Game 2, giving it everything he had.
But in Game 4, after Lillard went down, something even more concerning unfolded: He sat alone. On the court. For two full minutes.
It wasn’t until Kyle Kuzma finally walked over that Lillard got any help. It wasn’t just a bad look — it was a flashing billboard that said: This team knew it was over before it started. The Bucks' energy was dead on arrival. Effort? Nonexistent.
The Giannis problem — and it’s getting worse
If there’s been one constant for Milwaukee this postseason, it's this: Giannis Antetokounmpo is doing everything. Everyone else is doing nothing.
In Game 4, Giannis posted 28 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists. They still lost by 26 points. This isn’t new. Milwaukee hasn’t advanced past the first round since the 2021–22 season. After being upset by the eighth-seeded Heat in 2023, Giannis infamously declared:
"There is no failure in sports."
Maybe that sentiment sounded noble then. Now? It sounds like denial.
The Bucks aren’t "taking steps" toward a championship. They’re falling further away — fast.
Since that 2021 title run, everything has crumbled:
- Mike Budenholzer was fired mid-season.
- Doc Rivers hasn't saved anything.
- Damian Lillard’s blockbuster arrival hasn’t paid off.
- Kyle Kuzma’s addition has been a total bust (6.0 PPG on 33.3% shooting).
What’s left is a broken roster, a disillusioned fanbase, and one terrifying question:
Is Giannis about to leave?
The Bucks will have to take a long, hard look this offseason. They can shuffle role players, rethink coaching, tweak rotations — but none of it matters if Giannis decides he's ready for a new chapter.
And frankly, who could blame him?
If Giannis requests a trade, it won’t be a betrayal. It’ll be an acknowledgment that Milwaukee couldn't keep up with his greatness.
Fans should be grateful for 2021 — grateful for the banner he helped raise. Because the return for one of the most dominant European players ever will be hefty. The rebuild? It could take a generation.