Bucks' Lillard has MRI, team awaiting results before deciding if he plays in Game 4 vs. Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Damian Lillard underwent an MRI to determine the severity of his Achilles injury, and the Milwaukee Bucks could be without the star guard for Game 4 of their playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, coach Doc Rivers said Saturday.

Lillard greeted reporters as he strolled through an Indianapolis hotel wearing a walking boot on his right foot, but he did not take questions.

“We don't know yet, not looking great but we don't know yet,” Rivers said when asked about Lillard's availability for Sunday's game. “They're going to give us the test results soon, so we should know a little later today.”

Milwaukee was 1-8 when Lillard didn’t start a game in the regular season.

Lillard was clearly limping at times during the Bucks’ 121-118 overtime loss at Indiana on Friday night. The eight-time All-Star twisted his left knee when Pacers forward Pascal Siakam stepped on his foot in the first quarter. He stayed on the ground briefly before going to the locker room.

The 33-year-old Lillard returned in the second quarter and finished with 28 points and eight assists while going 6 of 20 from the field.

After the game, Lillard said he also hurt an Achilles tendon late in regulation. He scored two points, both on free throws and none in overtime, over the final 10 minutes Friday as Milwaukee fell into a 2-1 deficit in the best-of-seven series.

Lillard's injury means Milwaukee could be without its top two players for Game 4.

Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn't played since straining his left calf on April 9. Rivers said Antetokounmpo could be cleared for Game 4, though he believes it's unlikely.

“Today is his day off so he's going to go hard early (Sunday) and then we're going to make a decision after that,” Rivers said before being asked directly whether Antetokounmpo might play. “I doubt it, but we'll see.”

The Bucks did get some promising news Saturday.

Rivers said Khris Middleton — who finished with a playoff-career high 42 points in Game 3 — appeared to be feeling well after playing 41 minutes on the sprained right ankle that kept him out of Thursday's practice.

“He felt great,” Rivers said. “Obviously, you've got to go to sleep and wake up in the morning and I'm looking around and don't see a lot of old guys — a couple of us — you know how when we wake up our body feels, so we have to wait for Khris to wake up in the morning. The good news is there wasn't a lot of swelling, and he said he felt better as the game went on.”

Dealing with postseason injuries is nothing new for the Bucks.

A sprained ankle kept Antetokounmpo out of the final 1½ games of a 2020 second-round loss to Miami. He also missed the final two games of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals with a hyperextended knee. Antetokounmpo returned against Phoenix and was named the NBA Finals MVP after scoring 50 points in a title-clinching Game 6 victory.

Middleton missed the Bucks’ last 10 playoff games in 2022 with a sprained medial collateral ligament, and Antetokounmpo left Game 1 of last year's first-round loss to Miami with a bruised lower back that also kept him out of Games 2 and 3.

The Bucks are facing a similar scenario Sunday.

“We have 24 hours to work on that and figure it out,” Rivers said. “In the past, without him (Lillard), we've had Giannis at the point. If he doesn't play, you have to just figure out something. We have guys. There are certain ways in the motion offense we can play, we've worked a little bit on that, so we'll be ready.”

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Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) shoots around Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during the first half in Game 2 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) grabs his leg after being injured during the first half in Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, April 26, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

MALMO, Sweden (AP) — Get out the glitter ball and put on your dancing shoes: It's time to find out who will be crowned the 68th Eurovision Song Contest champion.

Acts from more than two dozen countries will take the stage in Malmo, Sweden, on Saturday to compete for the continent's pop music crown. Millions of people across Europe and beyond will be watching and voting for their favorites.

Here's how to join them.

In Europe, the final round begins at 9 p.m. Central European Summer Time. In Britain, it airs at 8 p.m.

In the United States and Canada, the finale begins airing at 3 p.m. EDT.

The competition will be aired by national broadcasters in participating nations — the Eurovision website includes a list of broadcasters on its website. In some territories, it'll be watchable on Eurovision's YouTube channel.

In the U.S., Eurovision will stream live on Peacock.

Voting is open for 24 hours before the final starts for viewers in the U.S. and other nonparticipating countries, who can vote online or using the Eurovision app. Viewers in participating countries can vote during the competition by website app, phone or text message, but can't vote for their own nation's entry.

Countries are awarded points based on both viewers' votes and rankings from juries of music industry professionals. These are combined into a total score — the country with the highest score wins.

Eurovision is an international pop music competition in which acts from countries across Europe, and a few beyond it, vie live on television to be crowned champion.

Launched in 1956 to foster unity after World War II and test new live-broadcast technology, Eurovision has become a campy, feel-good celebration of pop music with an audience of hundreds of millions around the world. It has grown from seven countries to almost 40, including non-European nations such as Israel and Australia.

It’s known for songs that range from anthemic to extremely silly, often paired with elaborate costumes and spectacular staging.

It's also been the launching pad for many mainstream artists' careers, including ABBA, Canadian chanteuse Celine Dion (who competed for Switzerland in 1988) and the Italian rock band Måneskin in 2021. Last year's winner, Swedish diva Loreen, is one of only two people who have won the contest twice.

Eurovision winners are notoriously hard to predict. This year's favorites include Nemo from Switzerland and Croatian singer Baby Lasagna.

Israeli singer Eden Golan has also surged in betting odds in recent days. Israel's participation has attracted large protests in Malmo by Palestinians and their supporters over a week of Eurovision events.

Windows95man of Finland performs the song No Rules! during the dress rehearsal for the first semifinal at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Nutsa Buzaladze of Georgia performs the song Firefighter during the second semi-final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Eden Golan of Israel performs the song Hurricane during the dress rehearsal for the final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Angelina Mango of Italy sings the song Imagine from John Lennon in the media center after the dress rehearsal for the final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Bambie Thug of Ireland performs the song Doomsday Blue during the dress rehearsal for the final at the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Friday, May 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)