Damian Lillard injury update: Bucks star to miss the start playoffs, but blood clot improving ‘significantly’

The Milwaukee Bucks will be without Damian Lillard for the start of their first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, as he continues to recover from dealing with a blood clot. The Bucks said in a statement that Lillard has made “significant” improvement with the deep vein thrombosis in his right calf, and continues to increase his on-court basketball activity.

Per the team’s statement:

“Damian’s most recent weekly scan shows that his injury has significantly improved which will enable him to move ahead safely with increased basketball activity,” said Bucks General Manager Jon Horst. “Damian’s health remains our No. 1 priority. We have followed strict protocols and will continue to do so. We are pleased with the positive news about Damian’s progress.”

Lillard has been out since March 18 with the diagnosis, though at the start of April, coach Doc Rivers told reporters that he had optimism that the All-Star guard would return this season. Though Lillard is yet to return, the latest update from the Bucks doesn’t completely shut the door on the possibility of him returning at some point in the postseason, especially if Milwaukee makes it out of the first round. The Bucks-Pacers series begins on Saturday afternoon.

In Lillard’s absence, the Bucks went 10-4, closing the season on an eight-game winning streak. They’ll face the Pacers in the first round of the postseason, and while Milwaukee fared well without Lillard in the regular season, they sure could use him in the playoffs. Giannis Antetokounmpo is certainly capable of carrying the Bucks on his back, as he’s done countless times, but Indiana has been on a tear to end the season. The Pacers started the season slow, but figured things out by the midway point and secured a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference behind an offense that ranks ninth in the league. The Pacers knocked the Bucks out in the first round last season as Antetokounmpo missed the series with injury.

Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton has turned his season around, and since Jan. 1 is averaging 19.5 points, 9.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds on 51% from the field and 43.1% from deep, which is far closer to the All-Star numbers he was putting up the last two seasons. Then there’s Pascal Siakam, who has been elite on both ends of the floor for Indiana, anchoring the defense along with Andrew Nembhard, which has resulted in the ninth-best defense since the New Year.

The Bucks are no slouch, they own the 11th-best net rating this season, but without Lillard to take some of the scoring responsibility off Antetokounmpo’s shoulders, it’s going to make things more difficult for Milwaukee in his series against an Indiana team that can rack up points in a hurry.