Doc Rivers gets candid on Damian Lillard's potential season-ending injury: "No one deserves it"
The Milwaukee Bucks suffered a 103-129 blowout loss against the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of their first-round series. However, Damian Lillard suffering a non-contact and potentially season-ending injury was the bigger headline from Sunday.
Lillard appeared to be in excruciating pain as he took a nasty fall midway into the opening quarter. Shortly after heading to the locker room, it was announced that Dame sustained an apparent Achilles injury.
Doc Rivers was among many others to express his sympathy towards the star guard. The Bucks' head coach seemed gutted at the prospect of Lillard having to deal with potentially yet another horrific injury.
"I knew it right away. I feel bad for him. The guy tried to come back for his team. I just feel bad for him. This is a tough one, honestly. Blood clot, followed by this. It's just tough... He's just such a great freakin' dude. On the basketball level, but more importantly, as a teammate and a father, all that stuff. No one deserves it," Rivers said in the postgame press conference.
Dame had returned to the lineup merely a few days ago after missing five weeks of NBA action. In mid-March, the sharpshooter was diagnosed with DVT in his calf. Initial reports suggest he will be out longer, missing the playoffs even if Milwaukee makes a deep run.
Currently, things do not look good for Damian Lillard or the Bucks. With Sunday’s 23-point humiliation, Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. now trail 1-3 – one loss away from witnessing their 2024-2025 campaign conclude.
Tyrese Haliburton sends wishes to Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is currently facing one of the toughest stretches of his career — battling a life-threatening DVT through March and April, and now facing the possibility of an Achilles tear. Whether a fan or not, one does feel sorry for Lillard.
Even Tyrese Haliburton, one of Dame’s biggest rivals, appeared to be devastated when wishing him a speedy recovery.
“What you see between us is competing and you hate to see that happen. Especially a guy who’s went through a lot, he’s given it his all to come out here and play after a scary health issue. It’s well-documented… the love I have for that guy. Hate to see that happen to anybody. I wish him the best moving forward,” Haliburton began his postgame press conference.
The two players have locked horns on multiple occasions in the past. More recently, Dame and Hali got into a heated verbal altercation towards the end of Game 2.
Haliburton has excelled in his playmaking duties, averaging 12.3 assists throughout the opening-round series. He now has the chance of wrapping the series on Tuesday with a potential win against the Damian Lillard-less Milwaukee Bucks at the Gainbridge FieldHouse.
