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Bucks' Damian Lillard to Miss Remainder of Playoffs With Achilles Tear

Matt Levine|
Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks saw star guard Damian Lillard go down with a non contact injury in Game 4 of their playoff series against the Indiana Pacers. Lillard exited the game, and the fears of the Bucks immediately set in.

More Bucks news: Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Talks Damian Lillard Potentially Season-Ending Injury

Shortly after, reports started to come out that sources feared Lillard had suffered a torn Achilles. Now, those reports have been confirmed and Lillard will miss the remainder of the postseason.

This now begins a long journey back for Lillard, and there is no timetable for his return. With the Bucks down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, it's very likely Milwaukee will be eliminated from the postseason shortly.

The Bucks will have all sorts of issue to figure out during the upcoming offseason, but the health of Lillard will be at the forefront. Lillard is also 34-years-old, so the recovery process may not be as easy for him.

But this also will have the Bucks wondering what is next for the team. With an aging core in place, Milwaukee has to answer some big questions this offseason.

The future of Lillard with Milwaukee remains very much in doubt, even with this injury. The Bucks struggled throughout the year, having to fight at every turn, despite Lillard and co-star Giannis Antetokounmpo being fairly available.

Antetokounmpo weighed in on this all.

“Especially for a guy like Dame, that is a competitor,” Antetokounmpo said. “He wants to play in big games. He wants to help the team win. When you see a guy like that not able to walk on his own, you know this might be serious and then you kind of hope that it’s the best-case scenario. And for now, we just hope it’s the best-case scenario for him, for his health. That’s pretty much it. It’s tough.”

This is certainly not the news that anyone would have liked, but it's the reality that Milwaukee now faces with Lillard. They hope that he can make a full recovery and return to continue his NBA career next season.

More Bucks news:

Bucks' Doc Rivers Listed Among NBA's Worst Coaches in Player Poll

Wild Trade Proposal Has Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Landing With Warriors

Nuggets’ Michael Malone Firing Has Instant Impact on Doc Rivers’ Bucks Future

For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, head on over to Milwaukee Bucks on SI.

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

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