The Milwaukee Bucks are on the brink of elimination from the National Basketball Association (NBA) playoffs after going 3-1 down to the Indiana Pacers. Damian Lillard, one of the franchise’s two star players, suffered a leg injury.
The Milwaukee Bucks (3.20) lost Game 4 129-103 at Fiserv Forum to the Indiana Pacers (1.35). Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks’ efforts with 28 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists, but he was unable to turn the game on its head. Kevin Porter Jr. contributed 23 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds. However, the Bucks only saw three players hit double figures in terms of points, while the Pacers had eight double-digit scorers.
Tyrese Haliburton Pulls the Strings
Central to the Pacers’ win was Tyrese Haliburton, who contributed 17 points, 8 rebounds and a remarkable 15 assists.
The point guard has hit double digits for assists for all four games in this series and is a significant part of the reason why the Pacers have the upper hand.
Indiana won the first game 117-98 and the second 123-115 but despite Haliburton’s efforts, they had lost the third 117-101. The fourth game could have saw the Bucks draw level, but Haliburton and co. stepped their game up to spoil the party.
Dame Lillard Potentially Out for Series
Lillard is feared to have torn his left achilles after a bad fall in the Bucks’ game 4 loss. He played little part in the encounter with 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 6 minutes. Lillard did not get onto the scoresheet in terms of points.
“It’s not very promising,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “. … I feel bad for him. The guy tried to come back for his team.”
He added: “This is a tough one, honestly. Blood clot, followed by [Achilles]. … He’s just a great freakin’ dude, as a teammate and a father. No one deserves it.”
Lillard has struggled repeatedly with injury issues recently. He had missed 15 games with deep vein thrombosis before returning for Game 2 of the series against the Pacers. The latest injury could keep him out for not only the rest of the series, but some time beyond that in the worst case scenario.
While Lillard’s injury has yet to be fully confirmed, it could be the same type of injury that saw Kevin Durant sidelined for over a year. Durant had picked up an achilles tear in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA finals.
Bucks on the Ropes
This has been a disappointing season for the Milwaukee Bucks, who have struggled to recapture the magic which saw them win the 2021 NBA Championship.
Antetokounmpo has remained solid in his output. Meanwhile, Lillard has contributed too with 24.9 points, 7.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. However, they have struggled for consistency.
Rivers took over as head coach in late January 2024 following the firing of Adrian Griffin. He had led the Boston Celtics to the 2008 NBA Championship. However, he has struggled to get the Bucks to gel.
Rivers did not have a full season to work with the team in 2023-24. However, in 2024-25, he has had more time to steer the ship in the right direction but the Bucks remain short of the performances they need to win a championship.
They have two days to recuperate before facing the Indiana Pacers again. Another loss would spell the end of their season. If they do manage to survive this series, they have plenty of work to do in figuring out how they can win a championship. With Lillard potentially unavailable, the task just got even tougher. The Milwaukee Bucks will have to defy the online sports betting odds if they are to keep their dream alive.
