The Milwaukee Bucks are down 3-1 in the first-round NBA Playoffs series against the Indiana Pacers. On top of that, star guard Damian Lillard left Game 4 early with a non-contact injury.
On Monday, the official diagnosis came through that it was a torn left Achilles, putting Lillard's 2025-26 NBA season in jeopardy.
"Just in: 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," ESPN's Shams Charania reported.
It's a long road to recovery for Lillard, who missed time towards the end of the regular season due to blood clots. On Monday, NBA insider Chris Haynes revealed how Lillard is feeling despite the latest injury blow during an episode of Haynes Briefs.
"He's in good spirits. He's motivated. He's confident that he's going to attack this recovery and come back a better player," Haynes said.
Lillard turns 35 years old in July, so recovering from an injury of that magnitude will be even more difficult for the veteran guard. On top of that, the Bucks franchise has some big questions to answer this offseason as they try and make some noise in what has been a disappointing couple of seasons.
For Lillard, the recovery starts now, and the former Portland Trail Blazers star is in good spirits despite the crushing blow.
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