The Milwaukee Bucks have hope that Damian Lillard will make a return this season. The Athletic’s Sam Amick was first to report.
Lillard was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf on March 25th.
Head coach Doc Rivers also spoke to the media ahead of the Bucks’ three-game road trip beginning Thursday and sounded optimistic. Lillard did not travel with the team but the fact that it was even a possibility is an encouraging sign.
“Yeah, we decided against it,” Rivers said. “He had a great report the other day, the numbers are phenomenal. And ‘Why mess with it?’ was our thing. Why fly him or anything? It could affect that… We have much more hope today than we did three days ago, I can tell you that.
“And so, we’re going to take everything that we can do to see if there is a way we can get him back.”
League source says there is a great deal of optimism that Damian Lillard will return this season from the deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.
More here on the Bucks star’s situation, with @eric_nehm, at @TheAthletic https://t.co/G8JYn6pTwf
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) March 26, 2025
Bucks Without Lillard
Milwaukee is 9-8 without the services of Lillard this season but just 1-4 over the last five games. They face the Sixers in Philadelphia on Thursday night.
One player who has generally stepped up in the absence of Lillard has been Brook Lopez. The veteran big man is 16.0 points per game in 17 games where Lillard hasn’t played, three points above his season average.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is always magnificent regardless of who’s in the lineup and has averaged 31.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.1 assists in 11 games without Lillard.
With the latest absence, Ryan Rollins has stepped into a bigger role and has been very impactful. He has scored in double-figures in each of the last four games including a pair of 20-point games against the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns, respectively.
Standings Watch
The Bucks are currently sixth in the East with a 41-34 record, a half-game behind the Detroit Pistons at 42-34.
Sixth place will face the New York Knicks in the first round while fifth place will secure a matchup against the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana defeated Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs a season ago en route to the East Finals.
