Photo by John Fisher - Getty Images
Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard #0 of the Milwaukee Bucks works out before game against the Toronto Raptors at Fiserv Forum on January 17, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Damian Lillard being held out indefinitely for an injury has been evident with four consecutive losses including a 145-124 drubbing by the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night. Although the Bucks came on strong offensively through the first half, they collapsed in the third quarter, picking up only 17 points.
The 118-92 deficit entering the final period was too much to overcome, despite a frantic finish. The Hawks’ Zaccharie Risascher scored a season-high 36 points, with Dyson Daniels picking up 22 points. Daniels also added five steals to become the team’s single season leader, and helping to push the game out of reach.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points, Kevin Porter Jr. got 28 points, and Kyle Kuzma netted 25 points for Milwaukee (40-34). By losing six of their last eight games, they’ve dropped to fourth place in the NBA Central Division, and sixth place in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. There are eight games remaining in the regular season.
Bright Spot
Antetokounmpo has proven to be the offensive bright spot, as always, in piling up four triple-double games, and three double-doubles. Kuzma and Porter Jr have tried to pick up the slack, with the trading of Khris Middleton, who was a questionable factor with ankle surgery and injuries anyway.
The big question mark for the post-season is Lillard, whose condition was announced last Tuesday. He was averaging 24.9 points per game this season and shooting 44.8% from the field. He was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and is receiving blood-thinning medication for the clot.
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It is the same condition suffered by the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama in his right shoulder, a little over a month ago. Wembanyama was averaging 24.3 points per game, and the injuries to both players couldn’t come at a worse time for their teams.
Commonly in the legs, according to the Mayo Clinic website, deep vein thrombosis is where a blood clot forms in a vein deep within the body. The threat comes from the clot dislodging and traveling through the bloodstream to create a pulmonary embolism, blocking blood flow in the lungs. How the conditions will affect the players’ careers going forward is not known.
Toast for the Playoffs?
For the Bucks, this means if Antetokounmpo gets hurt, the team is effectively going to be toast for the playoffs. In that eventuality, this could finally be the catalyst for him to move on. The aging roster has presented Bucks General Manager Jon Horst with problems over the last three seasons, and no remedy so far.
Milwaukee has been plagued by bad defense, during that time, and the age factor is a definite liability that allows younger teams to run circles around them. Bucks Head Coach Doc Rivers has tried to counter the issue with a constantly revolving line-up.
The players in the shifting roster moves are now focused on the bench crew coming out and filling the gaps. The departed Middleton, the suspended Bobby Portis Jr., and Lillard were some of the prime cogs on last season’s squad that eventually exited in the first round.
The one major fear all along was coming down to the wire with only Antetokounmpo in tow, as the main bread and butter. More so, an injury to the potential MVP candidate averaging 30 points and 10 rebounds would finish off any title championship hopes.
That translates to the management’s smoke and mirrors approach being abandoned, and something will surely have to be done.
The Bucks play at the Fiserv Forum against the Phoenix Suns (April 1), the Minnesota Timberwolves (Apr. 8), the New Orleans Pelicans (April 10), and the regular season finale opposing the Detroit Pistons (April 13).
