Do you believe in miracles? The Milwaukee Bucks must because star point guard Damian Lillard has been cleared of his blood clots. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, specialists have been working with Lillard around the clock through treatment and detection, and his deep vein thrombosis has been cleared completely in a little over three weeks.
Damian Lillard Set To Return to Bucks for 2025 NBA Playoffs
To say this is a major victory for Lillard is an understatement. Beyond anything basketball-related, this is an amazing prognosis and almost unheard of in the medical community. This must be a major relief for Lillard and his family, and he can now get back to focusing on basketball.
We know that Lillard has been ruled out for game one against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, April 19. However, the door is wide open for a return sometime in their first-round matchup.
Remarkable and historic development to clear from the blood clot in just over 3 weeks. Doctors have told Bucks officials this recovery has never been seen before – but occurred due to early treatment, detection, and specialists working on Lillard even before formal diagnosis. https://t.co/1AOqon1Ahm
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania)
Milwaukee has had an underwhelming season, but Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been the league’s highest-scoring duo, averaging a combined 58.4 points per game. Lillard alone has averaged a shade below 25 points (24.9) and has dished out 7.1 assists per game. His offensive skill set and prolific 3-point shooting will be needed in this early series.
The addition of Lillard will most likely move backup point guard Ryan Rollins back to the bench. The third-year guard started 19 games this season for the Bucks, averaging 6.2 points and shooting 40.6% from deep. Expect Rollins to still be in the mix early in the playoffs as Lillard continues to get back into game shape.
How Lillard’s Return Impacts the Bucks-Pacers Series
The Bucks have their work cut out for them against Indiana, as they are all about fast pace and scoring. The Pacers are seventh in the league in scoring, averaging 117.4 points per game. They also have the ninth-best offensive rating in the game at 115.4 and are seventh in the league in pace. If Lillard is to come back in this series, he better be ready to run quickly to guard star point guard Tyrese Haliburton.
The Bucks and Pacers faced off against each other four times this season. The Bucks won the season series 3-1, with Milwaukee most recently winning 126-119 on March 15.
As good as the news is about Lillard’s health, it might be the smart thing for him to sit this series out against Indiana. He last played on March 18 and has missed the team’s final 14 games. Even though he is cleared medically, he still has to work his way into game shape. Perhaps Lillard is on a minutes restriction, and this may help him ramp up his conditioning.
No matter what happens, we can all agree as basketball fans that Lillard back on the court is great for the game of basketball.
