Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks have been in a bit of a slump over the last couple of weeks, losing six of their previous 10 games.
Still, sitting at 40-31, the Bucks hold the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and, barring a dreadful final stretch, they should have no problem getting. However, they may have to do it without star point guard Damian Lillard.
Lillard has been unavailable for Milwaukee over the past three games, dealing with a right calf strain. On Tuesday, the Bucks initially listed Lillard questionable for Wednesday's contest against the Denver Nuggets, but now, it doesn't look like he will be coming back any time soon.
On Tuesday night, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Lillard is now out for an "indefinite period" after sustaining a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in the same right calf.
"Milwaukee Bucks: Damian Lillard has sustained a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in his right calf," Charania wrote on X. "Lillard is on blood-thinning medication, which has stabilized the blood clot, and will continue with regular testing. He is out indefinite period."
Like Lillard, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was also ruled out for the remainder of the season in February after deep vein thrombosis was found in his right shoulder.
If the Bucks were to lose Lillard for the remainder of the season, including the playoffs, it would be a huge hit to a team that is already starting to show signs of regression from the championship squad a few seasons ago. He is averaging 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists, their only player outside of Giannis to average above 15 points.
The Bucks will take on the Nuggets in Denver on Wednesday at 9:00 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published March 25, 2025 at 8:38 PM.