Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard had surgery on Friday to fix a torn Achilles tendon in his left leg. He got hurt last Sunday during a playoff game against the Indiana Pacers. The surgery was done in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, with help from the Bucks’ team doctor, Dr. Carole Vetter.
Lillard was injured in the first quarter of Game 4 and had to leave the court. The Bucks later confirmed that he had torn his Achilles. Without Lillard, the Bucks played Game 5 on Tuesday but lost 119-118 in overtime, allowing the Pacers to win the playoff series.
Damian Lillard played three games in the series after making a surprisingly quick comeback from deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. This condition happens when a blood clot forms in a vein and blocks normal blood flow back to the heart.
Lillard had missed the Bucks’ final 14 regular-season games but was able to return after stopping his blood-thinning medicine and getting full clearance to play again. He sat out Game 1 of the Pacers series to get ready but came back in Game 2.
At 34, Lillard averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists this season, ranking 10th in the NBA, and was chosen for his ninth All-Star Game.
