Misfortune continues to haunt the Milwaukee Bucks! Amid the difficult process of coping with the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks suffered another devastating blow in tonight’s Game 3 against the Pacers. Because not only did they lose the game 121-118 in overtime, but their second superstar, Damian Lillard, also suffered a scary injury early in the game. After the game, head coach Doc Rivers provided more insight on the unfortunate mishap that led to Dame heading to the locker room.

Raising massive concerns for the Bucks, Doc Rivers revealed Lillard’s injury might be much scarier than fans imagined, “I think it’s his Achilles again, so we’ll see.” That’s not what the Bucks fans want to hear when they are already missing Giannis due to a calf injury. Then, further adding details about Dame’s health, Rivers said, “Honestly, Dame was really struggling. In the overtime, he literally said, ‘I’ll be the decoy. I just can’t go as far as explosion.’ So I thought Dame just being out there was huge for us.”

But what caused Damian Lillard’s ankle injury? While trying to fight off the pain in his ankle with less than three minutes left in the first quarter, a hobbling Lillard pointed at one of the Pacers’ players. As it turns out, Pascal Siakam landed right on Lillard’s left ankle as he tried to block the 8-time All-Star’s layup attempt. Following the twisted ankle, Lillard fell to the floor, and left the game soon after.

However, Dame would return to the floor a few minutes later, but not at a 100%.

How did Damian Lillard play through his injury in Game 3?

Despite being in visible pain after the ankle injury, Lillard joined his teammates on the floor after receiving treatment. And he did everything he could to get the Bucks a victory, and a 2-1 series lead. Miraculously, Lillard played the most minutes on his team tonight (45), only second to Tyrese Haliburton’s 46 minutes. Moreover, Dame D.O.L.L.A. had 28 points along with eight assists throughout the game. Not only that, he also played great defense, making three crucial steals.

However, the injury affected Dame’s shooting stroke significantly. Not getting enough legs on his jumper due to a bad left ankle, Lillard missed eight of his twelve attempts from beyond the arc. And that proved detrimental for the Bucks. Even Khris Middleton’s 42-point double-double could not save Milwaukee from losing to the solid Pacers squad.

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With a looming threat of going down 3-1 on Sunday, all eyes will be on Lillard’s availability status for Game 4. If the Bucks wish to survive in this series, they will need Dame in the lineup, at his best.