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Is Damian Lillard Playing Tonight? (Injury Update, Betting Impact for Bucks vs. Nuggets)
The Milwaukee Bucks won't have star guard Damian Lillard in Thursday's matchup against the Denver Nuggets, and it's possible he could miss the rest of the 2024-25 season.
Lillard is dealing with a blood clot in his calf, and he has been ruled out indefinitely while he deals with the issue. The Bucks have done a solid job without Dame this season, going 8-5 in 13 games, but things would be a lot tougher if the All-Star guard can't return for the playoffs.
On Wednesday, with Dame out and Giannis Antetokounmpo questionable, the Bucks are set as road underdogs at DraftKings against the likely Nikola Jokic-less Denver Nuggets (Jokic is doubtful with an ankle injury).
Milwaukee, which was as high as +5000 at some sportsbooks to win the NBA Finals before the news, has fallen to +6500 at DraftKings Sportsbook now that Lillard is on the shelf.
This season, Lillard is averaging 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game across 58 games for the Bucks. He's also shooting the ball at a higher rate than he did last season, knocking down 44.8 percent of his attempts from the field and 37.6 percent from 3. Last season, Lillard shot just 35.4 percent from 3.
With Lillard out, the Bucks will turn to Kyle Kuzma, Giannis and others to pick up the slack on offense. Milwaukee is the No. 5 seed in the East entering tonight's game with Denver.
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Peter is a senior editor for Sports Illustrated Betting. He has worked as a writer and editor for BetSided, NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, MLB, and more. A New York City resident, he is a hoops fanatic with a soft spot for his New York Knicks.