Bucks’ Doc Rivers: Damian Lillard Won’t Be Shut Down vs. Pacers amid Achilles Injury

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVApril 28, 2024

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The Milwaukee Bucks will be without their two biggest stars for Sunday’s Game 4 of their first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, but head coach Doc Rivers isn’t ruling Damian Lillard (Achilles strain) or Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) out for future games against Indiana.

“Not shutting him down (for the series),” Rivers told reporters when discussing Lillard. “That’s a fact.”

He also said there is still hope Antetokounmpo can play in the series after going through a workout Sunday.

Antetokounmpo missed the final three games of the regular season and did not appear in any of the first three contests against Indiana.

Lillard did play in each of the first three matchups with the Pacers but suffered the injury during the Game 3 loss. He has been even more important than usual with Antetokounmpo sidelined and averaged 32.3 points per game in those first three contests.

However, he wasn’t nearly as efficient as usual in the Game 3 loss at just 6-of-20 (30 percent) from the field, and the Bucks turned to Khris Middleton for multiple clutch three-pointers at the end of regulation and overtime.

While Middleton can anchor the offense in Sunday’s contest, Milwaukee is facing an uphill battle on the road without its top two options.

The Bucks will need to win three in a row to preserve their season if they do lose without Lillard and Antetokounmpo, and it is difficult to envision that happening without at least one of them returning.

Fortunately for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, Games 5 and 7 will be at home during a potential 3-1 comeback. Perhaps one of them could return in front of the home fans for Game 5 and both could be available for the one remaining contest in Indiana.

That would drastically alter the overall outlook of this series, even if the Pacers take advantage of the golden opportunity in front of them Sunday and capitalize on their home floor.