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Doc Rivers says Damian Lillard is okay despite struggling with an ankle issue all game long

"We think he's okay, but he was struggling the whole game with the ankle."

Jonas Panerio

© Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
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Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers is keeping a close eye on his superstar guard Damian Lillard, who was clearly bothered by a sprained ankle in their 123-108 defeat at the hands of the Utah Jazz on Sunday in Salt Lake City.

Labored through the game

The seven-time All-Star played a whopping 38 minutes against the Jazz, scoring only 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting. He labored to finish the game, scoring only a point on two shots in the eight minutes he played in the fourth quarter.

After the game, Rivers shared that Lillard was feeling okay but was bothered by the ankle, preventing him from getting his usual burst and quickness. However, with the Bucks missing several key players, Rivers was forced to keep Dame in the game.

​​“We think he’s okay, but he was struggling the whole game with the ankle,” Rivers said.

“I swear there were times I was just going to take him out, even in the first half, but his presence was helpful. We didn’t have a lot of bodies”

Tweaked it

In the play above, Lillard appeared to have tweaked his ankle after slamming the ball home in the dying seconds of the third. With Jazz big man Walker Kessler shadowing him, Dame sped past the center and hammered a one-handed slam that gave the Bucks a 95-83 lead heading to the fourth.

However, as soon as Lillard landed, he hopped on his right foot a few times to avoid putting weight on his left before gingerly getting back on defense.

The Bucks have since listed Damian as questionable to play against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO