The Big Lead

Damian Lillard's official injury status revealed, delivers crushing blow to Milwaukee Bucks

Damian Lillard went down with an injury during the Bucks' Game 4 loss to the Pacers, and Shams Charania has now revealed the severity of the issue.

By Divij Kulkarni

Apr 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) looks on in the first quarter during game four against the Indiana Pacers of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Lillard left the game early in the in the first quarter with an injury. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Apr 27, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) looks on in the first quarter during game four against the Indiana Pacers of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Lillard left the game early in the in the first quarter with an injury. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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The Milwaukee Bucks face an uphill climb to save their 2024-25 season after going down 3-1 in their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers. If they are to pull off a massive comeback, it will have to be without superstar point guard Damian Lillard.

Lillard went down during Game 4 and was helped off the court, with what appeared to be an ankle injury. Initial fears that he had suffered an injury to his Achilles have now been confirmed, with Shams Charania providing the update.

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"Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has been diagnosed with a torn left Achilles tendon, sources tell ESPN. MRI today revealed the severity. A devastating end to his season," Charania reported.

A tear in the Achilles tendon is one of the worst injuries that an NBA player can have. The expected recovery time for a full return to the basketball court is around a year with an injury of this nature, which would mean that Lillard will also miss most of next season.

Dame is 34, and recovering from an Achilles tear is no easy task. Kevin Durant is a great example of a superstar coming back from an injury like that, but KD was just 31 when he went down with the same issue in 2019.

While this is crushing news for the 9-time All-Star, it is even worse for the Bucks. Their plan to pair Lillard with Giannis Antetokounmpo has not worked, and with an early playoff exit looming, the future looks even more bleak than before. This might spell the end of this current Antetokounmpo-led version of the Bucks.

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