Bucks’ Lillard to Miss Start of Playoffs

‘Dame Time’ will be delayed to kick off the playoffs.

The Milwaukee Bucks will be without the services of one of their superstars 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” progress with the deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and continues to increase his on-court basketball activity and workload.

“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 sidelined since March 18 with the diagnosis, though at the beginning of April, coach Doc Rivers told reporters that he had optimism that the All-Star guard and Top 75 Player would return this season. Though Lillard has yet to make a comeback, the latest update from the Bucks does not completely rule out the possibility of him returning at some point in the postseason, especially if Milwaukee advances past the first round. The Bucks-Pacers series begins on Saturday afternoon.

In Lillard’s extended absence, the Bucks went 10-4, closing the season on an eight-game winning streak. They will face the Pacers in the first round of the postseason for the second consecutive season, and while Milwaukee played well without Lillard in the regular season, they sure could use scoring prowess in the playoffs. Giannis Antetokounmpo is more than capable of carrying the Bucks on his broad shoulders, as he has proven many times over, however, the Pacers have been on a heater of their own to wrap up the season. The Pacers started the season slowly but figured things out by the All-Star break and secured a top four seed in the Eastern Conference behind a high-powered offense that ranks ninth in the league. The Pacers eliminated the Bucks in the first-round last season as Antetokounmpo missed the series with injury.

Pacers’ star and Olympian Tyrese Haliburton has completely turned his season around, and since the turn of the calendar on January 1 is averaging 19.5 points, 9.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds on 51% from the field and 43.1% from 3-point range, which is far closer to the All-Star caliber numbers he posted the last two seasons. And let us not forget Pascal Siakam, who has been solid 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 easy out, but without Lillard to take some of the pressure and immense scoring responsibility off Antetokounmpo’s shoulders, it is going to make things more difficult and challenging for Milwaukee in their series against an Indiana squad who can score points in bunches.