Already down 2-1 of their first-round matchup in opposition to the Indiana Pacers, issues could have simply gone from unhealthy to worse for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Halfway via the opening quarter of Recreation 4, Damian Lillard, who simply two video games in the past had made his return from deep vein thrombosis, went down with a dreaded non-contact damage. Whereas play continued, a lot of the power and ambiance was sucked out of Fiserv Discussion board area, following Lillard limping off the courtroom.
Quickly after, NBA on TNT broadcaster Stephanie Prepared reported that Lillard can be dominated out for the rest of the sport. And shortly after that, much more experiences started flooding in, citing a perception that Lillard had ruptured his Achilles. An Achilles tear is devastating for any participant, however particularly a participant of Lillard’s age, 34.
Whereas it is nonetheless too early to take a position on Lillard’s damage return timeline, it feels protected to chalk up the Bucks’ 2024-2025 season as completed. The Bucks by no means had a lot of a shot of constructing an actual run within the East, and now does that not solely really feel correct for this yr, however presumably going ahead.
This iteration of the Bucks has, for all intents and functions, dissatisfied. Again-to-back first-round exits—no matter accidents—weren’t what the Milwaukee entrance workplace had in thoughts once they pulled off the Jrue Vacation-Lillard swap. And you’ll wager that with this newest damage, vital adjustments are coming within the offseason.
For Lillard, a prolonged year-plus damage rehabilitation possible awaits him, which really is a disgrace for NBA followers worldwide, as a result of when he is proper, he’s one of the crucial thrilling, dynamic and explosive long-distance scorers that we now have in our recreation.
