Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has been cleared to play after dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and is no longer on blood-thinning medication, the team announced on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Charania reported Lillard would likely be out for the start of the NBA playoffs. Lillard is still out for Saturday’s Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, per Charania, but will ramp up for a return. According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Eric Nehm, Lillard played some 3-on-3 and participated in practice on Wednesday.
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Game 2 of the Bucks’ first-round series is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Charania reported that doctors told the Bucks that Lillard’s quick recovery “has never been seen before,” but that it happened thanks to early detection and treatment. Lillard had been on medication to treat the clot.
Lillard, 34, last played March 18 and missed Milwaukee’s final 14 games of the regular season after being diagnosed. At the time, no timeline was given for his return and head coach Doc Rivers said the team was prepared for Lillard to miss the rest of the season.
The Bucks went 10-4 during Lillard’s absence and won their final eight games, finishing as the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
“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,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “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.”
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This season, Lillard averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals. He shot 38% on 524 3-point attempts.
Milwaukee faced the Pacers in the first round of last year’s NBA playoffs and was eliminated in six games. Lillard averaged 31.3 points per game while shooting 42% on 3s to lead the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the series due to a left calf strain.
During the 2024-25 regular season, Milwaukee went 3-1 versus Indiana.
