The Milwaukee Bucks are getting a serious increase to their lineup forward of Tuesday’s Sport 2 in opposition to the Indiana Pacers. Damian Lillard told reporters that he would make his return from the deep vein thrombosis ailment he had in his proper calf on Tuesday.
Lillard was upgraded to questionable for Sport 2 on Monday after sitting out since March 18 on account of blood clots. The Bucks had introduced Thursday that Lillard was off blood-thinning medication and cleared for full basketball exercise after coping with deep vein thrombosis in his proper calf. The Bucks may use Lillard after they shot 9 of 37 from 3-point vary in a 117-98 Sport 1 loss at Indiana.
The harm report upgrading Lillard to questionable got here out after coach Doc Rivers had already spoken to reporters on Monday. Rivers mentioned he did not know whether or not Lillard would play Tuesday, however famous that the 34-year-old had been making progress.
“We did not do a number of dwell stuff immediately, however he did every little thing immediately,” Rivers mentioned after Monday’s apply. “He is simply progressing. He seems good.”
As a result of the Bucks had two days off between Video games 1 and a pair of, they returned to Milwaukee to apply earlier than heading again to Indianapolis for Tuesday’s recreation.
Every week after Lillard’s final recreation on March 18, the Bucks introduced that he was coping with deep vein thrombosis, an irregular clot inside a vessel the place the congealing of blood blocks the circulation by on the best way again to the guts.
Whereas he was on blood-thinning treatment, Lillard could not do a lot from a basketball standpoint past capturing free throws, although he mentioned specialists finally permitted him to do some workout routines similar to lifting weights. Due to his lack of basketball exercise during the last month, Lillard was going to want time to get himself playoff-ready even after docs cleared him.
“I used to be in a position to be energetic and do some stuff after which I obtained cleared to be on the court docket, and I used to be in a position to do some arduous exercises and do some conditioning and stuff like that,” Lillard mentioned Friday. “So we’ll see. The second that I be ok with it, I am not going to be ready and all of that. The second that I really feel I can go, I will go.”
The Bucks went 3-1 in opposition to the Pacers throughout the common season, with Lillard taking part in in every of these video games and averaging 18.3 factors, 9.3 assists and 5.5 rebounds whereas capturing 35.5% from the ground and 38.9% on 3-point makes an attempt.
Lillard appeared in 58 video games throughout the common season and ranked tenth within the league in each scoring (24.9) and assists (7.1) whereas incomes his ninth All-Star Sport choice.
Though he did not play Saturday, Lillard was on the bench and even obtained a technical foul late within the recreation after exchanging phrases with Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton throughout a timeout.
Haliburton, a two-time All-Star, expects to be matching up with Lillard on the ground sooner or later on this collection.
“It could actually occur at any time, I would not be stunned if it occurred tomorrow,” Haliburton mentioned. “So we have to be ready for no matter that’s, understanding that within the playoffs, it ain’t about particular person performances, it is about successful.”
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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