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Milwaukee Bucks fans held their breath Sunday night as Damian Lillard exited
Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers early with a concerning lower leg injury. The
incident occurred just minutes into the contest at Fiserv Forum as Lillard
attempted to secure a rebound near the top of the key. After passing the ball, the
star guard immediately clutched his left ankle and foot, remaining on the court in
obvious pain while play continued.
Lillard required assistance to leave the court, unable to put any weight on his left
foot. He was promptly taken to the locker room and ruled out for the remainder of
the game before the second quarter began, with the team citing a lower leg injury.
The specific nature of the injury remains undisclosed, but according to NBA insider
Chris Haynes, there is concern that Lillard may have suffered a torn left Achilles
tendon.
This setback is particularly disheartening for Lillard, as he was just three games
into his return after recovering from a blood clot in his other leg. He had been
diagnosed with deep-vein thrombosis in his right calf in mid-March, a condition
that many initially feared would sideline him for the rest of the season, mirroring a
similar issue faced by San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama in
his right shoulder. Lillard was treated with blood-thinning medication to stabilize
the clot and made a quicker-than-expected return for Game 2 of the series,
contributing 14 points and seven assists. He followed that up with seven points and
five assists in the Bucks' Game 3 victory on Friday.
Prior to his injury on Sunday, Lillard had recorded two assists and two rebounds,
going 0-for-2 from the field. Throughout the regular season, the 34-year-old
averaged an impressive 24.9 points and 7.1 assists in his second year with the
Bucks.
As Lillard headed to the locker room, the Pacers held a 63-52 lead at halftime.
Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, the Los Angeles Lakers faced a pivotal Game 4 against
the Timberwolves, a contest that underscored the razor-thin margin for error in the
NBA Playoffs. The intensity of playoff basketball demands unwavering focus,
purposeful movement, precise passing, and clutch shot-making, all amplified in a
hostile road environment. Every misstep, turnover, or missed opportunity can
swing the momentum and bring a team closer to elimination.
In such high-stakes moments, teams rely on their star players to deliver. Lakers
coach JJ Redick opted to keep his starting five of Luka Doncic, LeBron James,
Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith on the court for the entire
third quarter and to begin the fourth, clinging to a lead and trusting their ability to
close out the game.
However, despite holding a seven-point advantage with five minutes remaining, the
Lakers faltered down the stretch, allowing Minnesota to snatch a 116-113 victory and
take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
"This is not done yet," Hachimura declared, but the reality is stark. For the second
consecutive game, the Lakers were outplayed in the final five minutes. In Game 3,
they suffered a 12-point loss after being tied with just over four minutes left.
Sunday's collapse from a seven-point lead in the final five minutes paints a
concerning picture.
Redick defended his decision to stick with his starters, stating, "I think once you've
kind of made that decision, and they all are in, you just gotta trust them."
Whether fatigue played a role in missed open three-pointers by Reaves or missed
layups by Doncic and James is impossible to definitively know. Similarly, the
impact of Anthony Edwards' relentless perimeter attack on the Lakers' defense
remains speculative.
"I mean, it was tough," Finney-Smith admitted. "But it's the playoffs. Don't think
nobody wanted to come out."
Adding to the Lakers' late-game woes was an uncharacteristic miscommunication
between the veteran James and Doncic on an inbound pass with under 30 seconds
left and the Lakers trailing by one. This crucial possession was lost after the Lakers
called a timeout, believing Doncic had been clearly tripped before falling.
"Well, let's just start with Luka got tripped. I mean, that was a blatant trip," Redick
asserted. "He doesn't just fall on his own. We rewatched it. He gets tripped. So we
should have been at the free-throw line."
Adding to the frustration, a late steal by James on Edwards with 10 seconds
remaining was controversially called a foul, sending Edwards to the free-throw line,
where he iced the game with two successful shots, finishing with a game-high 43
points and nine rebounds.
"That play happens all the time. You know, hand is part of the ball. That's what they
said," James explained. "I feel like the hand was a part of that ball. I was able to get
his hand on top of the ball. The ball stripped out and out on him. Seen that play
over and over before, but it is what it is."
Despite the late-game struggles, the Lakers did make significant plays. Reaves hit a
crucial three-pointer, James came up with two key defensive stops, and Finney-
Smith knocked down a go-ahead three.
Doncic, who had been visibly hampered by a stomach bug in Game 3, looked much
more like his usual dominant self in Game 4. He aggressively attacked the basket
early, consistently getting into the paint and finishing around the rim. He also
stretched the Timberwolves' defense with his three-point shooting, even gesturing
to the crowd to quiet down on two occasions in the second quarter.
James, following up his 38-point performance in Game 3, was remarkably efficient,
utilizing his strength and quickness to gain advantages against Minnesota's
formidable defense.
Hachimura, playing with a protective mask after a nose injury in Game 2,
contributed 23 points, hitting important shots and battling on numerous key
possessions as the Lakers built their earlier lead.
Even Reaves, who was scoreless in the first half due to foul trouble, found his
rhythm in the second half, connecting on five three-pointers and finishing with 17
points. However, his potential game-tying three-point attempt at the final buzzer
fell short.
"If I'm put in that situation again, I'm gonna shoot it again and I have confidence in
myself to make it," Reaves said. "I just didn't make that one."
The contrasting fortunes of the Bucks and the Lakers highlight the unpredictable
and often brutal nature of the NBA Playoffs, where injuries and late-game
execution can dramatically alter the trajectory of a series.
