The Milwaukee Bucks are expected to get a major weapon back during their playoff series against the Indiana Pacers. Damian Lillard will reportedly return in either Game 2 or Game 3 of the series, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Lillard has not played in a game since March 18 due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. A week after that game, the team announced Lillard’s diagnosis. He was listed as out indefinitely and reportedly received blood-thinning medication to combat the issue.
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The Bucks stayed afloat without Lillard, rattling off an eight-game win streak to finish the regular season. That put the team firmly in the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference. With the team’s playoff spot secure down the stretch, news was scarce about Lillard’s availability for the postseason.
That changed Thursday, when Lillard was cleared to return to action. Lillard reportedly was able to take part in 3-on-3 scrimmages Wednesday, but still needs to ramp up ahead of his on-court return. He’s expected to miss Game 1 of the series, which will take place Saturday.
If Lillard sticks to the reported timeline, the earliest he’ll get back on the court is Tuesday, when the Bucks and Pacers will play Game 2. If Lillard still needs more time, the two teams play Game 3 on Friday, April 25.
Lillard’s return should provide a significant boost to Milwaukee’s playoff chances. When healthy, Lillard is among the biggest scoring threats in the game. He averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists for the Bucks in 58 regular-season games. That performance was good enough to earn Lillard his third-straight selection to the All-Star Game.
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With Lillard sidelined, the Bucks have leaned on big man Giannis Antetokounmpo, who turned in another season worthy of the MVP award. Milwaukee has also relied on Bobby Portis and midseason trade acquisition Kyle Kuzma to pick up the slack with Lillard sidelined.
While Lillard is expected to return, it’s unclear how effective he’ll be on the court. Even if he is 100 percent physically, Lillard hasn’t played much basketball since March 18. It could take some time for him to completely round back into game shape.
Still, Lillard’s presence alone is enough to strike fear into opponents. Having Lillard back on the court at all should provide a boost to Milwaukee in the playoffs. And if he returns to action looking like his usual self, Lillard could be the key piece that pushes the Bucks on another deep playoff run.
