UPDATE: Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Lillard suffered a strained Achilles tendon and is in a walking boot. Now, Lillard is in "serious doubt" to play in Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.
Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has suffered a strained Achilles, is in a walking boot and there is serious doubt over his availability for Game 4 vs. Pacers on Sunday, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/jQUJpovsSM
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 27, 2024
The original story can be viewed below:
The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a deflating 121-118 overtime defeat in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, and that may not be their most devastating loss of the night if recent reporting regarding All-Star point guard Damian Lillard's health is any indication.
Lillard took a scary fall late in the first quarter of Friday's contest, instantly grabbing his left knee as he appeared to be in visible pain. He eventually went to the locker room before being cleared to continue playing but then seemed to pick up a more concerning injury in the final seconds of the fourth quarter -- his Achilles.
Jack Maloney of CBS Sports revealed that Lillard "had a scare with his knee and aggravated his Achilles tendon," jeopardizing his status for Game 4.
After the game, Damian Lillard clarified that his Achilles aggravation occurred on this play at the end of regulation and not on the foul by Pascal Siakam in the first quarter.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 27, 2024
(You can see Lillard wince as he goes to pick up Patrick Beverley.) pic.twitter.com/M4nnU43Nqa
Damian Lillard's Game 4 status is murky after the latest injury update
When trying to defend Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, he exasperated a previous Achilles issue, at least according to the postgame comments of Bucks head coach Doc Rivers.
"Honestly, Dame [Lillard] was really struggling," Rivers said, h/t CBS Sports. "In the overtime, he literally said, 'I'll be the decoy. I just can't go as far as explosion,'" he added.
Despite managing to finish the game and log a team-high 45 minutes, Lillard did not look 100 percent on the floor, and it seems he feels more discomfort now that the adrenaline from the highly-contested playoff matchup has worn off. However, he told reporters after the contest that his "plan" is to suit up in Game 4.
"It's one of those spots on your body where you literally can't do nothing about it. If you can't move, you can't move. So we got a couple days, tonight, to start to try to get ahead of it and just get it feeling better, try to get ready for Sunday," Lillard said, h/t CBS Sports.
Considering the Bucks have already been without MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo for this series as he tries to recover from a calf strain that has kept him sidelined since Apr. 9 (and his timetable to return remains unclear), they can ill afford to lose Lillard for any amount of time, even if he is not at full strength.
Game 4 between the Bucks and Pacers will be on Sunday, Apr. 28, at 7 p.m. ET in the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana. Be sure to stay tuned while we monitor the status of Lillard as we get more updates.