Damian Lillard exited the game with a lower left leg injury just minutes into the first quarter. The incident occurred during a non-contact play, leaving spectators unsettled as Lillard clutched his ankle and required assistance to leave the court.
Lillard stumbled while trying to grab a rebound at the top of the key, though he managed to tip it off to the corner before he crashed down to the court. As Lillard fell, though, he immediately reached for his left ankle, clearly in a lot of pain.
Gary Trent Jr., then went down and grabbed the lower part of his left leg, around his ankle. He continued to sit on the floor as play resumed on the other end of the court.
After a foul stopped play, Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma helped Lillard up. Lillard then started limping and had to be helped off the court and into the locker room.
Lillard’s previous injury involved his other leg. That previous injury required him to go on blood-thinning medication to treat his deep vein thrombosis, an abnormal clot within a vessel where the congealing of blood blocks the flow through on the way back to the heart.
Lillard left the game with 5:57 remaining in the first quarter and the Bucks trailing 15-12, but Rivers acknowledged that seeing Lillard go down was deflating for the rest of the team.
"Dame's one of them special ones," Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. said. "He's very much needed, very much impactful in every way. Seeing him go down and not be able to return, it's definitely defeating."
Milwaukee trails 3-1 in the series against Indiana. Game 5 is Tuesday in Indianapolis.
Lillard missed the team's final 14 regular-season games because of deep vein thrombosis in his right leg. He returned in Game 2 of the first-round series against the Pacers after a month out of action in a recovery the team called unprecedented.
Initial examinations suggested a potential Achilles tendon injury, which raised alarms given Lillard's recent history of health issues. Earlier in the season, he had battled deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, causing him to miss significant playing time . Coach Doc Rivers described Lillard’s condition as “not very promising,” underscoring the gravity of the situation for both player and team .
The ramifications of this injury extend beyond individual concern; they significantly impact Milwaukee's playoff aspirations. Trailing 3-1 in their series against Indiana, losing Lillard could jeopardize their chances of advancing further in the postseason . As fans await MRI results and further updates on his condition, one cannot help but reflect on how injuries can abruptly alter not only games but also careers.
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