Will Damian Lillard Play vs Pelicans? Bucks Release Injury Status For Star Guard

Will Milwaukee All-Star point guard Damian Lillard suit up against New Orleans on Thursday?

Mar 28, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) looks to pass the ball against New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) and guard Trey Murphy III (25) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Will nine-time All-Star Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard be available to suit up against the 21-58 New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday?

Lillard, 34, has been indefinitely sidelined since a 104-93 March 18 loss to the Golden State Warriors with a right calf deep vein thrombosis (blood clot), an ominous ailment.

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Sporting a 45-34 record thanks to a five-game win streak, the Bucks are now two games clear of the 43-36 Detroit Pistons for the Eastern Conference's No. 5 seed, with just three games remaining on their 2024-25 season slate.

Right now, the Bucks boast a 2-0 head-to-head season record against Detroit. The two teams have two more games scheduled against one another to close out the season, on April 11 in Detroit and on April 13 in Milwaukee. So, at best, the Pistons could knot up their season series, 2-2. The Bucks have a 29-21 inter-conference record, while Detroit's is 28-21, meaning the No. 5 seed very much remains in play.

So long as the Bucks maintain a better season record than the Pistons, they will just claim the No. 5 seed outright. If their regular season and season series records are tied by Detroit, things could get more complicated, as the next tiebreaker is inter-conference record.

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All this is to say, Milwaukee could use Lillard back sooner rather than later to combat opposing point guards. Yes, most of New Orleans is hurt. But the Bucks could certainly use him against Pistons All-Star point guard Cade Cunningham.

Lillard has been at least dropping hints that he could return before the end of the regular season, which would be Sunday's matchup against the Pistons. He has just three games left to do that.

From the horse’s mouth a week ago:

Damian Lillard is "hopeful to get cleared in the next week or week and a half to go full-go, and then resume basketball in games for the Bucks."

Prepare for good news soon. ⌚️

pic.twitter.com/1ySd9lBdd3

— DeerMuse🦌 (@DeerMuse) April 8, 2025

Per Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Lillard will sit out yet again.

Bucks injury report for Thursday vs. New Orleans:

Out:
Damian Lillard (Right Calf Deep Vein Thrombosis)
Jericho Sims (Right Thumb UCL Sprain)

Questionable:
Pat Connaughton (Right Ankle Sprain)

Probable:
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Left Shoulder Tendinopathy)

— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 9, 2025

This season, the 6-foot-2 Weber State product will miss out on a shot at what would have been his eighth All-NBA team. He has only appeared in 58 games so far, and by missing Thursday's game, he can only, at most, be available for 60 total games this season.

Across those 58 contests so far, Lillard is averaging 24.9 points on .448/.376/.921 shooting splits, 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals a night.

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For more news and notes on the Milwaukee Bucks, visit Milwaukee Bucks on SI.