Lillard has been ramping up since been cleared of his blood clots on Thursday
Damian Lillard updates continue to flow in as the Milwaukee Bucks prepare to take on the Indiana Pacers in the NBA playoffs. While appearing on NBA Countdown, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that sources told him that Dame is set to return as early as Game 2 or 3 of this series against the Pacers:
FROM SHAMS:
Just in on NBA Countdown – Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard is expected to make his return in Game 2 or Game 3 of series against the Indiana Pacers, sources tell ESPN:
— Shams Charania Tweets (& Other NBA News) (@shamsbot.bsky.social) 2025-04-19T16:17:23.678Z
Shams also reported that Dame has been ramping up in full contact since being cleared of his blood clot on Thursday. He also reiterated how unprecedented his recovery was, but that came through early detection and using blood thinners before an official diagnosis was made, paving the way for a lightning-quick return compared to other clots. If he were to return on Tuesday, that would give him five full days to ramp up for play, or eight days if they opted to play him in Game 3 on Friday in Milwaukee.
Despite his struggles against the Pacers this year, scoring just 18.3 PPG across the four-game season series, his return will be vital for the Bucks to make a deep playoff run. It will be over a month since Dame has played in an NBA game, with his last time suiting up coming on March 18 against the Golden State Warriors.
We will let you know what game the Bucks clear for Lillard to play.