Milwaukee provided its fan base with a sense of hope following its 117-101 victory over the Pacers. However, such optimism crumbled when Lillard fell to the ground, without contact from another player, as the Bucks point guard attempted to grab an offensive rebound on the perimeter in the first quarter of Game 4.

In Game 4 of the Bucks' first-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers, Lillard went down in the first quarter and had to be helped off the court. Shortly after suffering the injury, Haynes reported that Lillard was feared to have torn his Achilles.