Doc Rivers shares emotional message as Damian Lillard injury devastates Milwaukee Bucks after Game 4 loss

The Milwaukee Bucks entered Sunday night’s playoff clash against the Indiana Pacers hoping to even up the series. Instead, their night ended in heartbreak. Not only did Milwaukee suffer a crushing 129 to 103 defeat in Game 4, but they also lost star guard Damian Lillard to a feared Achilles injury. It was a devastating blow that now leaves their season hanging by a thread.
Milwaukee’s struggles deepened early in Sunday’s contest when Damian Lillard, who had recently returned after a month-long absence due to blood clot issues, went down with a non-contact injury just six minutes into the game. The initial fear from the Bucks' bench and later echoed by insiders was that the 33-year-old guard had suffered a torn Achilles.
Following the game, head coach Doc Rivers was visibly shaken while speaking to reporters in Indiana. "I knew it right away," Rivers said, referring to the moment Lillard went down. "It is not very promising. I feel bad for him. The guy tried to come back for his team."

Rivers did not stop there. He shared an emotional tribute to Lillard, not just as a player but as a person. "This is a tough one, honestly," Rivers added. "Blood clot, followed by Achilles. He is just a great freakin' dude, as a teammate and a father. No one deserves it."

Before this latest setback, Lillard had been trying to find his rhythm after missing time. He posted 14 points and seven assists in Game 2 and added seven points and five assists in Game 3. Throughout the 2024 to 2025 NBA season, Lillard appeared in 58 games, averaging 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per contest while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range.
The Bucks' Game 4 loss now puts them down 3 to 1 in the first-round series against the Pacers. With their backs firmly against the wall, Milwaukee will travel to Indiana for a must-win Game 5 on Tuesday.
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The Milwaukee Bucks still hold a faint hope of staying alive in the playoffs, but losing Lillard, both on the court and in the locker room, casts a heavy shadow over the team. Rivers’ emotional words after the game captured the deep sense of loss and heartbreak that’s hanging over the Bucks. It’s clear that things just aren’t the same without their leader.