DAMIAN LILLARD NEWS

The Bucks Need Playoff Damian Lillard Now More Than Ever With Giannis Antetokounmpo banged up, Milwaukee needs Lillard to elevate his game.

APRIL 16 • SI.COM

Damian Lillard returns to playoffs with Milwaukee Bucks as No. 3 seed in Eastern Conference The former Blazers' star last appeared in a playoff game in 2021.

APRIL 15 • OREGONLIVE.COM

Struggles from field in defeat Lillard ended with 16 points (2-14 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 12-13 FT), four rebounds, two assists and one steal in 30 minutes during Sunday's 113-88 loss to the Magic.

Impact Lillard returned for Sunday's regular-season finale after missing Milwaukee's previous game with adductor soreness, struggling from the field despite ending north of 15 points thanks to a strong showing at the free-throw line in a losing effort. Lillard tied a season-low in field goals made Sunday, though he posted his 11th game with 12 or more three throw made. The Bucks hope Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo are able to get healthy and back to 100 percent as the postseason gets underway.

APRIL 15 • ROTOWIRE

Officially available Sunday Lillard (adductor) has been cleared for Sunday's game against Orlando.

Impact Lillard will take the court as Milwaukee's leader once again with Giannis Antetokounmpo missing a third consecutive contest due to a calf injury. A win secures the two seed in the Eastern Conference for Milwaukee, signifying an opportunity for second-round home court advantage in the playoffs.

APRIL 14 • ROTOWIRE

Expected to play Sunday Lillard (adductor) is listed as probable for Sunday's game versus the Magic.

Impact Lillard is expected to return to action Sunday after missing Milwaukee's previous contest with left adductor soreness. If the star point guard is upgraded to available, either Patrick Beverley or Malik Beasley will likely head back to the bench.

APRIL 13 • ROTOWIRE

Bucks won't have either Lillard or Antetokounmpo for Friday's game at Oklahoma City

The Milwaukee Bucks won’t have either Giannis Antetokounmpo or Damian Lillard available for their Friday night game with the Oklahoma City Thunder

APRIL 12 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Officially ruled out Lillard (adductor) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Thunder.

Impact As expected, Lillard has been downgraded from doubtful to out and will join Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) on the sidelines. Lillard's last chance to suit up during the regular season will come Sunday in Orlando.

APRIL 12 • ROTOWIRE

Unlikely to play Friday Lillard is listed as doubtful for Friday's game versus the Thunder due to left adductor soreness.

Impact Lillard presumably suffered his injury against Orlando and is expected to miss Friday's contest. Patrick Beverley and Malik Beasley will likely see increased playing time if the star guard is ruled out against Oklahoma City.

APRIL 11 • ROTOWIRE

Bounces back against Orlando Lillard accumulated 29 points (10-19 FG, 3-8 3Pt, 6-7 FT), six rebounds and nine assists across 34 minutes during Wednesday's 117-99 win over the Magic.

Impact Lillard was limited to just 12 points during Tuesday's win over Boston, but he bounced back in the second half of the back-to-back set and came within one assist of a double-double. He's made four appearances since returning from a three-game absence, averaging 25.0 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 36.8 minutes per game.

APRIL 11 • ROTOWIRE

Limited to 12 points Tuesday Lillard posted 12 points (5-11 FG, 2-5 3Pt), three rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal across 36 minutes during Tuesday's 104-91 victory over the Celtics.

Impact Lillard didn't have his best performance and delivered his lowest scoring mark since March 24, when he posted 11 points in a 118-93 win over the Thunder. The star floor general hasn't posted the same numbers he used to deliver during his Portland days, but he's still averaging a solid 23.9 points and 8.0 assists per game over his last 10 contests. That figure should increase even more in case Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is forced to miss games, which is a realistic possibility given his injury and the fact the Bucks only have three games left in the regular season.

APRIL 10 • ROTOWIRE

Gets green light Coach Doc Rivers said Lillard (hip) is available for Tuesday's game against the Celtics, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports.

Impact As expected, Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring), Khris Middleton (quadriceps) and Patrick Beverley (ankle) have all been upgraded from probable to available. Over two appearances since returning from a three-game absence, Lillard has totaled 59 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

APRIL 9 • ROTOWIRE

Appears on injury report Lillard is listed as probable for Tuesday's game against Boston due to left hip soreness.

Impact Lillard being a gameday addition to Tuesday's injury report is concerning, but he appears firmly on track to suit up in Milwaukee's 7:30 p.m. ET tipoff. The Bucks currently have Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring), Khris Middleton (quad) and Patrick Beverly (ankle) listed as probable in addition to Lillard.

APRIL 9 • ROTOWIRE

Productive outing in return Lillard (adductor) tallied 36 points (10-24 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 12-14 FT), six assists, five rebounds and one steal across 38 minutes Friday in the Bucks' 117-111 loss to the Raptors.

Impact Lillard's return from a three-game absence -- the last two due to a right adductor strain and the first due to a personal matter -- wasn't enough to uplift the sinking Bucks, who dropped their third straight game to a sub-.500 team to remain just one game ahead of Cleveland for the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference standings. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) sitting out Friday, Lillard took on a bloated 40.4 usage rate -- well above his season-long rate of 28.6 percent -- and while he posted some strong overall numbers, subpar shooting took a 40- or even 50-point game off the table. Assuming Lillard's adductor strain didn't cause any complications Friday, he should be ready to play big minutes again Sunday versus the Knicks, though he'll sacrifice some usage if Antetokounmpo is cleared to suit up.

APRIL 6 • ROTOWIRE

Lillard available, Antetokounmpo out for Bucks vs. Raptors

Damian Lillard was available and Giannis Antetokounmpo was out for the Milwaukee Bucks’ Friday night game against the Toronto Raptors

APRIL 5 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Set to play against Toronto Lillard (groin) is available for Friday's game versus the Raptors, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.

Impact Lillard will return to action Friday after missing Milwaukee's last three contests with an adductor strain. The star guard will likely reclaim his starting spot from Pat Connaughton against Toronto. Lillard is averaging 24.1 points, 9.2 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 37.7 minutes across his last 10 appearances.

APRIL 5 • ROTOWIRE

Questionable for Friday Lillard (groin) is questionable for Friday's game against the Raptors.

Impact Lillard has sat out the past three games for Milwaukee due to an adductor strain, but this is the first time he's received the "questionable" since hitting the sidelines. We should get another update following Friday's shootaround, but if Lillard is able to return, Pat Connaughton would likely head back to the second unit.

APRIL 4 • ROTOWIRE

Out again Wednesday Lillard (groin) will not play Wednesday against the Grizzlies.

Impact Lillard will miss his third straight game Wednesday, and his second in a row due to his groin. With both Lillard and Patrick Beverley (ankle) sidelined, Pat Connaughton and AJ Green could both see plenty of reps.

APRIL 3 • ROTOWIRE

Damian Lillard will be out with a groin strain Tuesday night against the Wizards

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard won’t play Tuesday night against the Washington Wizards because of a groin strain

APRIL 1 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Won't play Tuesday Lillard has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against Washington due to a right groin strain.

Impact Lillard was unavailable Saturday against Atlanta due to personal reasons, and he'll sit out a second consecutive game while tending to a personal matter. His next chance to suit up will be Wednesday against the Grizzlies, while Patrick Beverley (wrist), AJ Green and Pat Connaughton could see increased roles Tuesday.

APRIL 1 • ROTOWIRE

Out Saturday for personal reasons Lillard has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Hawks due to personal reasons.

Impact Lillard briefly went to the locker room due to an undisclosed reason during Thursday's loss to the Pelicans, but his absence Saturday isn't injury-related. Patrick Beverley (wrist), AJ Green and Pat Connaughton are candidates for increased ball-handling opportunities, but Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) and Khris Middleton (ankle) should lead Milwaukee's offense in usage. Lillard's next chance to suit up will come Tuesday in Washington.

MARCH 29 • ROTOWIRE

Unimpressive in loss Lillard accumulated 27 points (9-29 FG, 3-14 3Pt, 6-7 FT), five rebounds, eight assists and one steal in 49 minutes before fouling out of Tuesday's 128-124 double-overtime loss to...

Impact Lillard posted his 34th game of the year with at least 25 points, although that number pales in comparison to his 44 games with 25-plus points last year. He also facilitated while committing only two turnovers, but he had no offensive rhythm from anywhere on the court Tuesday. There will be better days ahead for the 33-year-old, who is still knocking down 40.0 percent of 9.6 threes through 12 contests in March.

MARCH 27 • ROTOWIRE

How Damian Lillard trade is impacting Bucks & 3 other teams 6 months later | NBA.com Milwaukee's blockbuster addition 6 months ago continues to make ripple effects across the Eastern Conference and the league.

MARCH 26 • NBA.COM

Keeps 30-point streak alive Lillard totaled 30 points (11-22 FG, 5-11 3Pt, 3-3 FT), three rebounds, 12 assists and two steals over 37 minutes during Thursday's 115-108 victory over the Nets.

Impact Even though Lillard operates as the Bucks' second-best offensive option in most games due to the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, there's no question the star floor general is trending in the right direction. Antetokounmpo has been bothered by a hamstring injury in recent days, and perhaps that is also one of the reasons why Lillard has been a bit more active offensively. Lillard has now scored at least 30 points in three games in a row while averaging 26.0 points, 8.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game in March.

MARCH 22 • ROTOWIRE