The Bucks' Damian Lillard received a heavy injury update ahead of Game 4 against the Pacers and could declare the series over early.
At the moment, the Milwaukee Bucks are far more vulnerable than fans expected a month ago. Injuries are destroying the team's roster, and the latest injury has cast a heavy shadow over their playoff prospects.
According to Stamm and Sports Channel's Shams Charania, Damian Lillard has suffered an ankle injury and is highly likely to miss Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers.
That's bad news, as the star point guard is currently wearing walking boots, showing his limitations when the game is only 30 hours away, which isn't a new problem for Lillard.
The 33-year-old has been enduring pain in his ankle tendon, but he re-exacerbated the injury during the Bucks' tense overtime game against the Pacers.
While Lillard's initial diagnosis is not encouraging, this latest news could be a fatal blow this season, in which the Milwaukee team absorbed a lot of blows but still managed to get back up and fight back.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard likely to miss out at least for the rest of the game, there may not be any other response.
Or at least it won't be a response that can beat an Indiana team eager to taste NBA playoff success in a decade, with the Pacers currently leading the series at 2-1, but the Bucks can stop their momentum by snatching the next game with other players desperately trying to do so, and looking to the future will only exacerbate the current unease among fans.
There's no need to rush into a potentially heavy off-season, or focus on the long term, with Damian Lillard's injury forcing Doc Rivers to make a major adjustment
Lillard's performance in Game 3 (6-of-20 shooting, 4-of-12 three-pointers) was most likely due to his physical limitations, but he nevertheless played 45 minutes and held on in overtime.
While it's obviously impossible to think that the Bucks can succeed without him, having an injured Lillard could reduce the team's odds of winning.
The 2018 All-NBA player could be a liability if he tries to weather the pain in Game 4. At the moment, the mobility of the two Bucks superstars has suffered. It's a question Rivers can't avoid.
How did the Bucks survive against the Pacers, and where were the opportunities?
However, what the 2008 championship coach can do is develop a game plan that emphasizes other starters while disrupting the rhythm of the Pacers, and winning the rebounding battle could go a long way in that regard.
Brook Lopez isn't known for effectively scrambling for rebounds, but he's definitely capable of producing a more respectable number of rebounds than he's totaled in this series. Rivers may need him to play a more traditional big man role now to prevent Indiana from grabbing another 19 offensive rebounds.
In addition to Lopez, the Bucks must be more vigilant. Tyrese Haliburton and Aaron Nethmis were not allowed free movement (18 rebounds in Game 3 combined).
Defensively, the team will need to maintain a high level of intensity throughout the game. Although Milwaukee managed to limit Haliburton's shots, the team was unprepared for his winning layup in the final two seconds of the game.
In the case of injuries to Janannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, no mistakes or insanity can be tolerated.
On the offensive end, Chris Middleton must stay on a hot streak. While he may not be able to score another 42-point performance, he could keep the Bucks in the game by finding his place and hitting a mid-range jumper.
Of course, the substitutes have to step up as well.
Therefore, the third-seeded team in the Eastern Conference needs a lot of things to go smoothly if they want to get out of the noose. However, it may be more likely than fans think, with enough talent and resilience on the team to push the Pacers to the brink of a cliff.
Speaking of which, Lillard and Antetokounmpo are injuries, which are really cheap for the Pacers.