Damian Lillard’s Remarkable Recovery Comes Just in Time for the Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks All-Star point guard Damian Lillard has been cleared of his deep vein thrombosis and is no longer on blood-thinning medication, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday.

Just three weeks after being ruled out indefinitely due to blood clots, Lillard received remarkable and historic medical news by clearing the clot so quickly thanks to early detection and treatment.

While Lillard won’t play in Saturday’s Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers, the Bucks guard will have a period of time to ramp up contact workouts ahead of a return to basketball. No immediate timeline has been set for his return.

I am no doctor, but leaving basketball out of this, it seems like a major win for Lillard. As a fan of basketball, we’ve seen Chris Bosh have to retire because of blood clots. A similar health scare cut short the promising Defensive Player of the Year campaign of young phenom Victor Wembanyama this season as well.

It’s a remarkable win to get Lillard back on the floor in general. But in three weeks? That’s phenomenal work by everyone involved.

On the court, there’s no denying that the Bucks will need Lillard’s services sooner rather than later. Without Lillard, Milwaukee was an impressive 16-8. When the news of these blood clots surfaced, many had written the Bucks off for dead in a top-heavy Eastern Conference.

Milwaukee drew a tremendously difficult first-round matchup with the Pacers, who are one of the best offensive teams in the Eastern Conference. Fueled by point guard Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers can flat-out run the floor and put the ball in the basket at an incredibly quick clip, so Lillard’s offensive prowess will be needed.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the Bucks are a slight +140 underdog to get out of the first round. It’s expected to be the most competitive first-round series in the East. If they do escape the high-scoring Pacers, they’ll likely have a conference semifinals date with the Cleveland Cavaliers — who finished the season as the No. 1 seed in the East with the No. 1 offense in the NBA.

Lillard was averaging nearly 25 points per game before being ruled out. He averaged just over seven assists per game as well. The Bucks will certainly welcome all of that, as Giannis Antetokounmpo will need his Robin healthy and available in order for the Bucks to have literally any chance in the NBA Playoffs this season.

Nationally, the narrative surrounding the Eastern Conference has been all about the Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. It’s amazing that Lillard is even medically available to give it a go, because the Bucks might need another miracle out of him to make noise in this postseason.