Damian Lillard injury update: Milwaukee Bucks star suffered torn left Achilles tendon

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has suffered a torn left Achilles tendon, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. The injury occurred in the Bucks’ 129-1103 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in the NBA Playoffs.

With the win, the Pacers took a 3-1 lead in the first-round series. It is a brutal ending to the season for Lillard, who had fought to return for the playoffs after missing over a month due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.

Lillard returned in the Bucks’ Game 2 against the Pacers despite only practicing three times since being sidelined on March 18. In Games 2 and 3, Lillard averaged 34.5 minutes per game and totaled 21 points, 12 assists and six rebounds.

He didn’t score in his six minutes of action in Game 4 before leaving the game with an injury. After his initial return in Game 2, Lillard admitted he felt fatigued at times on the court.

“I got a little winded, but I think everyone got a little winded,” Lillard said. “I wasn’t really thinking about if I was tired, it was just like I’m out here and I’ve got to do what I got to do.

“… It felt pretty good, given the fact that I haven’t played in so long… Jumping back into a playoff game, I’d say it felt pretty good. I felt pretty solid.”

With the loss of Lillard, a Bucks comeback against the Pacers seems even more improbable. If the Bucks are eliminated, it would be the third consecutive season they have failed to escape the first round. Shams Charania claims that another loss could cause two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to re-evaluate his future with the team.

“Giannis Antetokounmpo has said it on the record, he’s made it clear publicly and privately, winning, sustained winning, is going to be of the utmost importance for him,” Charania said during an appearance on SportsCenter. “Every single offseason, he goes into it, ‘Can this team compete and win a championship?’ And if not, he has said it publicly that he would then look to see what his best option is.

“If they do fall in this series, what does Giannis Antetokounmpo feel about where this Bucks team is going? And from the Bucks’ perspective as well, they’re inability to really add to this team, especially with Damian Lillard now out for an extended period of time… There are a lot of questions.”