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
