Bucks' Damian Lillard Diagnosed with Torn Achilles After Injury vs. Pacers in Playoffs

Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a torn Achilles.

According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, Lillard is in "good spirits" and is "motivated on attacking his rehab":

Lillard's availability for the start of 2025-26 is now in doubt because of the injury's severity.

In Game 4 of the Bucks' first-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers, Lillard went down in the first quarter and had to be helped off the court. Shortly after suffering the injury, Haynes reported that Lillard was feared to have torn his Achilles.

The injury came after a recovery from his deep vein thrombosis diagnosis in March that forced him to miss the final month of the season and required him to take blood-thinning medication.

Per Charania, doctors "told Bucks officials that the speed of Lillard's recovery has never been seen before, but it occurred because of early treatment, detection and specialists working on him before a formal diagnosis."

Lillard understandably wasn't his typical self upon return from the blood clot. He had 14 points and seven assists in Game 2 before putting up just seven points in Game 3. Before going down in Game 4, Lillard had played just six minutes.

After Lillard's exit, the Bucks went on to lose by 26 points, 129-103.

Lillard's time in Milwaukee has not gone the way he would have liked so far. While he's had a pair of strong regular seasons, he and the Bucks faced a first-round exit a year ago and are one loss away from the same fate.