Damian Lillard has a torn left Achilles tendon, confirming the Milwaukee Bucks’ worst fears after the seven-time all-NBA guard was helped off the court Sunday night.

The Bucks announced the severity of Lillard’s injury after he had an MRI.

The injury knocks Lillard out for the rest of the postseason and could put his status for next season in doubt as well. When Kevin Durant tore his Achilles tendon in the 2019 NBA Finals, he ended up missing the entire 2019-20 season.

The Bucks had been bracing for this outcome after Milwaukee’s 129-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4. Milwaukee trails the Indiana Pacers 3-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Game 5 is Tuesday at Indianapolis.

Lillard’s injury occurred in his third game since coming back from deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.Lillard, 34, was behind the 3-point line around the top of the key midway through the first quarter when the ball bounced toward him. Lillard used his left hand to tip the ball toward teammate Gary Trent Jr., then went down and grabbed the lower part of his left leg. He continued to sit on the floor as play resumed on the other end of the court.

Hockey

Penguins part ways with coach >> Mike Sullivan’s nearly decade-long tenure running the Pittsburgh Penguins is over.

The team announced that it was parting ways with the two-time Stanley Cup winning coach just over a week after the Penguins missed out on the playoffs for a third straight season.

Sullivan, whose 409 wins with Pittsburgh are a franchise record, led the Penguins to back-to-back championships in 2016 and 2017 and had two more years left on the contract extension he signed in 2022. The 57-year-old had said recently that he wanted to remain with the club as it tries to retool around future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby.

NFL

Commanders eye new Stadium >> Washington’s NFL franchise is set to return to the nation’s capital as part of an agreement between the organization and the District of Columbia government to build a new stadium as part of a project totaling nearly $4 billion.

Mayor Muriel Bowser said the District of Columbia and the Commanders reached an agreement to construct a new home for the football team in the city at the site the old RFK Stadium, the place the franchise called home for more than three decades. It would open in 2030, with groundbreaking expected next year, pending D.C. City Council approval.

The Commanders are contributing $2.7 billion, with the city investing roughly $1.1 billion over the next eight years for the stadium, housing, green space and a sportsplex on 170 acres of land bordering the Anacostia River.

Steelers release Watts >> The Pittsburgh Steelers announced they were releasing safety Ryan Watts, whose football career is feared to be over because of a severe neck injury sustained last preseason.

“After consulting with our medical team, medical experts and Ryan’s representatives, we all agree that it is in Ryan’s best interest to discontinue playing football at this time,” Steelers general manager Omar Khan said in a statement. “We will continue to assist and support Ryan as he transitions to the next phase of his life.”

The 23-year-old from Texas has been sidelined since being struck in the head by a knee late in Pittsburgh’s preseason-ending 24-17 loss to Detroit on Aug. 24. The injury initially was diagnosed as a stinger, though it became regarded as more serious with Watts spending his entire rookie season on injured reserve.

Titans sign Lockett >> The Tennessee Titans signed veteran wide receiver Tyler Lockett, giving rookie quarterback Cam Ward a dependable option as he prepares for his first year in the NFL.

Lockett spent 10 years with Seattle before being released in a cost-cutting move, catching 661 passes for 8,564 yards and 61 touchdowns, trailing only Hall of Famer Steve Largent in all three categories on the Seahawks’ career list.