Damian Lillard scored 28 points in the Bucks' Game 3 loss to the Pacers.
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Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard has been ruled out of Game 4 of the playoff series against the Indiana Pacers (7ET, TNT) the team announced on Sunday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are listed as absent for tonight's game.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 28, 2024
Lillard underwent an MRI on Saturday to determine the severity of his Achilles tendon injury. He did not take questions as he greeted reporters while walking through an Indianapolis hotel with a walking boot on his right foot.
When Lillard didn't start in the regular season, Milwaukee went 1-8.
Lillard was clearly limping. Sometimes during the Bucks era Lost in overtime 121-118 Friday night in Indiana. The eight-time All-Star twisted his left knee when Pacers forward Pascal Siakam stepped on his foot in the first quarter. He remained on the field for a short time before going to the locker room.
Lillard, 33, returned in the second quarter and finished with 28 points and eight assists on 6-of-20 shooting from the field.
After the match, Lillard said he also hurt his Achilles tendon. Regulatory delays. He scored two points on free throws in the final 10 minutes Friday and zero points in overtime as Milwaukee fell behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Due to Lillard's injury, Milwaukee will be without its top two players for Game 4.
Won league MVP twice Giannis Antetokounmpo He hasn't played since hurting his left calf. April 9th.
The Bucks got some promising news on Saturday.
Rivers said Khris Middleton, who scored a playoff career-high 42 points in Game 3, missed Thursday's practice with a sprained right ankle and appeared to be feeling well after playing 41 minutes.
“He felt really good,” Rivers said. “Obviously, you have to sleep and wake up in the morning. When you look around, you don't see a lot of old people. It's just a few of us. We don't know how our bodies feel when we wake up. ” So we have to wait for Chris to wake up in the morning. The good news was there wasn't much swelling, he said, and he felt better as the match progressed. ”
Dealing with injuries in the postseason is nothing new for the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo missed the final 1 1/2 games of the 2020 second-round loss to Miami due to an ankle sprain. He also missed the remaining two games of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals due to hyperextension of his knee. Antetokounmpo returned to action against Phoenix, scored 50 points in the title-clinching Game 6, and was named NBA Finals MVP.
Middleton will miss the Bucks' final 10 playoff games in 2022 with a sprained medial collateral ligament, and Antetokounmpo left Game 1 of last year's first-round loss to Miami with a hip bruise and missed Games 2 and 2. He also missed three games.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
