Without standout point guard Damian Lillard, no one expected the Milwaukee Bucks to hang with the Indiana Pacers in their first-round playoff series. His deep vein thrombosis (DVT) diagnosis has had the team's fan base on pins and needles, worrying about the potential short- and long-term ramifications. To make matters worse, there hadn't been a clear timetable for the nine-time All-Star to return — until now.
Recent intel from ESPN's Shams Charania suggests the Milwaukee faithful can exhale a massive sigh of relief. He reported that Lillard "is expected to" suit up as soon as Game 2 on NBA Countdown before Game 1 between the Bucks and Pacers.
Just in on NBA Countdown – Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard is expected to make his return in Game 2 or Game 3 of series against the Indiana Pacers, sources tell ESPN: pic.twitter.com/RNHT5eHfPl
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 19, 2025
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like The Whiteboard, share it with an enemy!
Damian Lillard's imminent return gives Bucks new life heading into Pacers series
Per Charania, Lillard could be available for Milwaukee's next meeting with the Pacers in Indiana. Alternatively, the Bucks may wait until they're in front of their home crowd to bring him back. Regardless, he's been doing "full-contact workouts" since recently being cleared from the blood clot in his right calf.
Not having Lillard to begin their best-of-seven bout with a high-powered Pacers squad isn't ideal. Nonetheless, the Bucks weren't sure if he'd factor into the equation this postseason, so this is a massive development. Indiana boasts one of the NBA's premier offenses, and Milwaukee lacks the firepower to keep pace with them sans the veteran floor general.
Lillard's expedited recovery is both miraculous and encouraging, considering how long DVT has previously kept players sidelined. Notably, San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama has been dealing with the same issue. Yet, when his club broke the news, the latter was immediately shut down for the remainder of the season.
Charania said doctors described Lillard's accelerated rehab process as "unprecedented" and something "that has never been seen before." But after missing over a month of action, Lillard is "ramping up" with sights on taking the floor in the near-distant future, the insider states.
With regular-season averages of 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game on .448/.376/.921 shooting splits, Lillard's status looms large.