Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard will reportedly miss the start of the 2025 NBA playoffs due to a blood clot in his right calf, Afrosport reports.
Lillard has been sidelined since 18 March, but the Bucks on Tuesday announced that the 34-year-old had made “significant improvement on his deep vein thrombosis”.
The Bucks added that the nine-time All-Star will increase his on-court activity, but the team did not give a timeline for his return.
“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.”
The Bucks announced in March that Lillard would be sidelined indefinitely, with the former Portland Trail Blazers guard using a blood-thinning medication to stabilise the clot.
Lillard was averaging 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists while shooting 44.8% from the field and 37.6% on 3-pointers before he was shut down for Milwaukee’s final 14 games of the regular season.
The Bucks (48-34) finished with a 10-4 record in those games Lillard missed, ending the season on an eight-game winning streak as they clinched the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee will play the fourth-seed Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, with Game 1 set for Saturday at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
