Damian Lillard exacerbating his Achilles injury leaves the Bucks on RED ALERT after Game 3 with the Pacers, but he still intends to play in Game 4

The Milwaukee Bucks are facing a new challenge as they attempt to overcome a 2-1 disadvantage in their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers, due to a growing number of injuries.

Milwaukee has been missing the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, due to a calf strain. Khris Middleton was designated as uncertain prior to Friday’s Game 3, yet he managed to score an impressive 42 points in 41 minutes. During the latter part of the fourth quarter, Damian Lillard exacerbated an Achilles ailment that he said impeded his performance in overtime.

“Currently, we are experiencing a significant number of injuries,” stated Bucks coach Doc Rivers following his team’s 121-118 loss in overtime.

Regrettably for the Bucks, Lillard experienced a recurrence of a pre-existing Achilles ailment, as stated by head coach Doc Rivers following the defeat.

“I believe it is his Achilles tendon once again, so we will have to wait and see,” Rivers commented following the defeat.

Lillard scored 28 points, shooting 6-of-20, and played for 45 minutes. However, he did not attempt a shot and failed to score during overtime. He informed Rivers of his intention to remain on the court as a decoy for Middleton, who successfully made two 3-point shots to tie the game. The first occurred with 2 seconds left in the fourth quarter, and the second happened with 8 seconds remaining in overtime.

“I simply wanted to be present on the court in case an opportunity arose or if there was any way I could be of assistance,” stated Lillard, who disclosed that one of his Achilles tendons had been experiencing discomfort during the Bucks’ final game of the regular season in Orlando.

The fourth game will take place on Sunday evening in Indianapolis.

Prior to the game, the Bucks were uncertain about Middleton’s condition following his right ankle sprain in Game 2 on Tuesday. After completing his warmup exercise, Middleton assessed his ability to push off and alter directions, determining that he was sufficiently prepared to play.

Lillard instilled fear among the Bucks during the first quarter. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam inadvertently made contact with Lillard’s heel while attempting a layup, resulting in Lillard twisting his left knee, according to Lillard himself. He remained on the floor for a significant amount of time before proceeding to the locker room and finally rejoining the game.

“When I went out there I knew it was gonna be a little uncomfortable but I didn’t feel like I was putting myself in danger,” Lillard said.

The Bucks rallied from a 19-point deficit in the first half to take a fourth-quarter lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from Lillard. But the Pacers rallied in overtime to win on a basket by Tyrese Haliburton.

“We just gotta try and get the next one,” Lillard said. “Once you do that then it becomes a new series again, and then after that it continues to change every game. We just gotta turn the page and focus on getting one before we get out of here.”

Even though they are trailing in the series, the Bucks are not going to rush Antetokounmpo back while he recovers from a left calf strain that kept him out of the final three regular-season contests and the start of this series.

Rivers said Friday that Antetokounmpo would only return to practice when he’s healthy, and the Bucks’ results would not influence his status.

“We’re not going to rush anybody back,” Rivers said.

“It’s too dangerous to do that.”