Kofi Inkoom
Damian Lillard scored 28 points tonight (his lowest so far in this seasons playoff series), although the Bucks lost against the Indiana Pacers on the road. However, there was concern about his availability after he seemed to injure his knee during the first quarter, landing awkwardly after a play against Pascal Siakam.
Damian Lillard grabbing at his left knee pic.twitter.com/odoUZ5TeQM
— Lily Zhao (@LilySZhao) April 26, 2024
He was visibly in pain and had to be attended to by trainers before being taken to the locker room for further assessment. Despite this setback, Lillard managed to score only nine points in the first half.
Postgame, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said he thinks Damian Lillard’s Achilles is back. “I think it’s his Achilles again, so we’ll see.” Doc told reporters. “Honestly, Dame was really struggling. In the overtime, he literally said, ‘I’ll be the decoy. I just can’t go as far as explosion.’ So I thought Dame just being out there was huge for us.”
Also, Damian Lillard clarified that the injury occurred before Pascal Siakam landed on his foot, causing his knee to twist in the first quarter. Later in the game, he aggravated an Achilles injury during the fourth quarter. He further added that, he is aiming to start rehabilitation and treatment process early to regain some explosiveness 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.
(You can see Lillard wince as he goes to pick up Patrick Beverley.) pic.twitter.com/M4nnU43Nqa
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 27, 2024
Despite these challenges, Lillard showed resilience in the second half, scoring 17 points and finishing the game with a total of 28 points, eight assists, and three steals.
The Bucks, already missing Giannis Antetokounmpo due to a calf injury, now face the possibility of losing the series to the Pacers, who ended the regular season as the sixth seed despite the Bucks being the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
In the upcoming Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis at 7 p.m. ET, the Bucks will have the opportunity to level the series at 2-2, aiming to even the score and regain momentum. Conversely, the Pacers could seize home court advantage and extend their lead to 3-1, further solidifying their dominance in the series.