INDIANAPOLIS — Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers has learned to take 10-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard at his word.
So when Rivers spoke with his injured 34-year-old star guard Tuesday, he wasn’t surprised to hear Lillard’s reaction to the torn left Achilles tendon that knocked him out of this year’s first-round playoff series against Indiana.
“He said two things, which I love,” Rivers said. “The first one, he just said, ‘I can’t believe I’m here.’ Then the second one is ‘I’m not going out this way.’ I can guarantee you he won’t, and that’s what I meant about his resolve.”
Lillard suffered a non-contact injury Sunday night in Game 4 of the Bucks series against Indiana. He was behind the 3-point line, near 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.
He remained seated as play continued and needed help — both to get up and to leave the court. Milwaukee lost the game 129-103, putting the Bucks in a 3-1 deficit and on the brink of a third straight first-round exit. The series resumes Tuesday night in Indianapolis.
Lillard’s absence is a huge blow, especially after the seven-time All-NBA selection fought so hard to return just a month after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, an ailment that typically takes months to recover from, not weeks.
Then in his third game back, Lillard got hurt again. this time with an injury that could keep him out of a significant portion of next season and potentially end his pairing with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The tandem has appeared in just three playoff games over their two seasons as teammates.
But Lillard is determined to come back as quickly as possible.
“It’s amazing,” Rivers said. “He’s already talking about his return and being better and being ready. We had a long talk about that today as well.”
Lillard didn’t look like his typically explosive self in any of the three games against the Pacers. He averaged 7.0 points, 4.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds in those games compared with the 31.3 points he scored in last year’s 4-2 series loss to the Pacers and the 18.3 points and 9.3 assists he averaged in this season’s’ four regular-season games against Indiana.
He ranked 10th in the NBA in scoring (24.9) and 10th in assists (7.1) this season.
After Sunday’s game, the Pacers players who had sparred verbally with Lillard through the first three games of the series also sent their best to Lillard.
Rivers opted to shake up his starting lineup Tuesday by inserting guards AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr., as well as forward Bobby Portis. Trent also returns to the starting lineup.
Lillard’s latest absence is yet the latest chapter in some bad postseason luck for the Bucks since winning their 2021 title.
A knee injury kept Khris Middleton out of the entire seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal loss to Boston in 2022. Antetokounmpo bruised his lower back in Game 1 and missed the next two games before returning in a 2023 first-round series loss to Miami. Antetokounmpo also missed all six games against Indiana in 2024 with a strained calf.
