Bucks' Damian Lillard: Struggles from field in defeat
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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.
Lillard returned for Sunday's regular-season finale after missing Milwaukee's previous game with adductor soreness and struggled mightily from the field in one of his worst games of the season. 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. The 3-seed Bucks will take on the 6-seed Pacers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Officially available Sunday
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Lillard (adductor) has been cleared for Sunday's game against Orlando.
Lillard will take the court as Milwaukee's leader once again, as Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss a third consecutive contest due to a calf injury. A win secures the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference for Milwaukee, signifying an opportunity for second-round home-court advantage in the playoffs.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Expected to play Sunday
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Lillard (adductor) is listed as probable for Sunday's game versus the Magic.
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.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Officially ruled out
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Lillard (adductor) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Thunder.
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.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Limited to 12 points Tuesday
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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.
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 if Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is forced to miss games, which is a realistic possibility given his injury and the fact the Bucks have only three games left in the regular season.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Gets green light
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Coach Doc Rivers said Lillard (hip) is available for Tuesday's game against the Celtics, Eric Nehm of The Athletic reports.
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.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Appears on injury report
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Lillard is listed as probable for Tuesday's game against Boston due to left hip soreness.
Lillard being a late 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.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Productive outing in return
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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.
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 percent 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.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Set to play against Toronto
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Lillard (groin) is available for Friday's game versus the Raptors, Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reports.
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.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Questionable for Friday
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Lillard (groin) is questionable for Friday's game against the Raptors.
Lillard has sat out the past three games 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.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Out again Wednesday
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Lillard (groin) won't play Wednesday against the Grizzlies.
Lillard will miss his third straight game Wednesday, with his first absence being attributed to a personal matter and the last two being the result of a right groin strain. With both Lillard and Patrick Beverley (ankle) sidelined, AJ Green could be needed to play extended minutes at point guard.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Won't play Tuesday
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Lillard has been ruled out for Tuesday's game against Washington due to a right groin strain.
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.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Out Saturday for personal reasons
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Lillard has been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Hawks due to personal reasons.
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.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Unimpressive in loss
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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 the Lakers.
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 had no offensive rhythm as a shooter. 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.
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.
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 consecutive games while averaging 26.0 points, 8.9 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game in March.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Hits six threes vs. Celtics
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Lillard finished Wednesday's 122-119 loss to Boston with 32 points (11-21 FG, 6-10 3Pt, 4-4 FT), four rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal over 36 minutes.
Lillard was the leading scorer Wednesday as he scored one more point than Jayson Tatum. Lillard has now scored 30-plus points in each of his last two games with Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) sidelined over that span. Lillard is averaging 25.6 points on 44.6 percent shooting (including 42.4 percent from three on 9.4 3PA/G), 4.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists over 36.7 minutes per game in March.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Big double-double against Suns
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Lillard produced 31 points (10-19 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 7-7 FT), five rebounds, 16 assists and one steal over 39 minutes during Sunday's 140-129 victory over Phoenix.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo (hamstring) getting the day off, Lillard stepped up with a big performance, topping 30 points for the third time in the last seven games while setting a new season high in assists. The veteran point guard has 11 double-doubles on the season, and three of them have come in March as he's averaged 24.8 points, 8.9 assists, 4.1 boards and 3.8 threes so far on the month.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Close to double-double in win
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Lillard racked up 17 points (7-16 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 1-1 FT), three rebounds, nine assists, one block and one steal over 38 minutes during Thursday's 114-105 win over the 76ers.
Lillard didn't have his best shooting performance and needed 16 shots to score 17 points, but he made his presence felt as a playmaker and dished out nine or more assists for the third time across his last four games. Lillard can still take over a game if needed, but he's been forced to adjust to playing as the second option behind Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee. Lillard's numbers have suffered because of that, as he's averaging nearly eight points fewer (24.3 ppg) compared to last season (32.2 ppg).
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Knocks down seven threes vs. Clips
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Lillard contributed 35 points (11-19 FG, 7-13 3Pt, 6-7 FT), seven rebounds and 11 assists across 38 minutes during Sunday's 124-117 victory over the Clippers.
Lillard has attempted 10 or more three pointers in four of his last five games and has gone 42.6 percent from beyond the arc in that span. He's carried his All-Star Game MVP momentum into the second portion of the regular season and has been a large factor in Milwaukee's 7-2 record since the break. Over his last 10 games, Lillard has averaged 24.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists over 35.3 minutes per game.
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Bucks' Damian Lillard: Snuffed on potential game-winner
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Lillard produced 28 points (10-23 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 4-4 FT), five rebounds and 12 assists over 38 minutes during Friday's 123-122 loss to the Lakers.
Lillard put up a big line and came through with eight of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, but he lost a chance for glory when his potential game-winning jumper was blocked by Spencer Dinwiddie at the buzzer. Nonetheless, the star point guard put together a standout fantasy performance, recording his first double-double since Feb. 23 and falling one assist shy of his season-high mark. Lillard also extended his run of games with multiple triples to 12.
