The Milwaukee Bucks are incredibly vulnerable right now, far more so than fans anticipated just a month ago. Injuries are decimating the roster, with the latest one adding considerable doubt about their postseason prospects. Damian Lillard has a strained Achilles and is in serious jeopardy of missing Sunday's Game 4 versus the Indiana Pacers, per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic.
The star point guard is currently in a walking boot, illustrating just how limited he is with tip-off only 30 hours away. This is not a new issue for Lillard. The 33-year-old had been playing through pain in his Achilles tendon but re-aggravated the injury towards the end of the Bucks' dramatic 121-118 overtime loss to the Pacers on Saturday night.
Although the initial prognosis for Lillard was bleak, this latest update could be a devastating knockout blow in a season that has seen Milwaukee absorb plenty of strikes but somehow manage to pick itself up and land a counter punch. With both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard likely sidelined for at least the next contest, there might not be another response coming.
Or at least one that could overpower a feisty Indy squad that is hungry for its first taste of NBA Playoffs success in a decade. The Pacers hold a 2-1 series lead, but the Bucks can halt their momentum by stealing a game in Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Looking ahead will only intensify the agita fans are currently feeling.
There is no reason to rush towards a potentially somber offseason.
Damian Lillard injury forces Doc Rivers to make big adjustments
Damian Lillard's physical limitations likely explain his poor shooting night in Game 3 (6-of-20, 4-of-12 from 3-point range). He logged a team-high 45 minutes nevertheless and pushed through the Achilles strain during overtime. While it is obviously outrageous to suggest that Milwaukee can make a run without him on the court, the squad's chances could be lower with a hobbled Lillard.
The 2018 All-NBA First-Team selection might actually be a liability if he tries to gut out the pain for Game 4. The mobility of both Bucks superstars is compromised at this time. That is not something Rivers can really work around.
How Bucks can survive vs. Pacers
What the 2008 championship-winning head coach can do, however, is devise a game plan that emphasizes his other starters while also disrupting the Pacers' rhythm. Winning the rebounding battle could greatly help in that regard.
Brook Lopez is not known for effectively crashing the glass, but he is definitely capable of producing a more respectable rate than he is totaling in this series. Doc Rivers might need him to play more of a traditional big-man role in the present in order to prevent Indiana from grabbing 19 offensive rebounds again. Beyond Lopez, the Bucks must exercise more awareness. Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nesmith cannot be allowed to roam free (combined for 18 boards in Game 3).
The defense needs to also maintain its intensity throughout the whole contest. Although Milwaukee kept Haliburton in check from the field, the team was not adequately prepared on his game-winning and-1 drive to the basket with less than two seconds left on the clock. There is no room for miscues or mental lapses with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard battling injuries.
Offensively, Khris Middleton has to stay molten hot. Another 42-point performance on 16-of-29 shooting is probably not in the cards, but he can keep the Bucks in matchups by finding his spot and burying mid-range jumpers. The bench has to step up as well, of course.
So basically, a lot has to go right for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference to escape the hangman's noose. It might be more doable than fans think, though. There is enough talent and grit on his team to push the Pacers to the brink.
ClutchPoints will update you on Lillard's final injury status before Game 4 tips off in Indianapolis on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET.
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