The Milwaukee Bucks have been without Damian Lillard for over two weeks now, as the star guard has been dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.
Before Thursday night's victory against the Philadelphia 76ers, head coach Doc Rivers gave a positive update regarding Lillard and said that he may still return before the season ends. Lillard was initially supposed to travel with the team to Philadelphia, but the team decided against it.
Rivers told reporters that "He had a great report the other day... the numbers are phenomenal... We have much more hope today than we did three days ago, I can tell you that, and so we're going to take everything we can do to see if there is a way we can get him back."
Bucks played well and are hopeful Lillard can be back for the playoffs
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 126-113 win on Thursday night with a historic 35/20/17 performance that etched his name further into the NBA history books. Six other players finished with double-digit points in a team effort against a depleted but tough Sixers team. Giannis has been able to show off his playmaking ability further with Lillard out and the team needing to share ball-handling responsibilities more.
The news regarding Lillard is positive, and his return will help the Bucks eradicate one of their flaws. As others have taken over the playmaking, turnovers have seen a slight increase, with more players sharing the rock and taking on more responsibility. Ryan Rollins has stepped up as the starting point guard but is still showing some naivety with the ball. A Lillard return will help that, and with Giannis playing at such an elite level, we may see the best of Lillard with all eyes on the Greek Freak.
Getting the superstar guard back would be huge for the Bucks, as they look like they're the underdog in any playoff series. It appears their matchup will be one of the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, so Milwaukee needs all the help they can get.
Bobby Portis is set to return soon, which will be another boost for the team, and hopefully, we will see the best of him off the bench. The last month or so has been rocky for the Bucks, and Portis will be wanting to show everyone what the team has been missing.
More versatility will arrive if Jericho Sims returns as well. The big man was a huge loss for the team, and his absence led to Giannis and Brook Lopez being the only real frontcourt players available.
For now, there is no timeline on when Lillard will be back, but all the positive news being released suggests everything is pointing in the right direction. Health, of course, takes priority, but Lillard may not be done just yet for the Milwaukee Bucks.
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