Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard was a full participant in practice on Friday after sitting the last couple due to some soreness. Giannis Antetokounmpo still did not participate as he’s dealing with a strained left calf.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Damian Lillard Injury Update
Lillard has been dealing with a sore adductor that sidelined him for the last weekend of the regular season. The hope is that he’ll be back for the playoffs series against the Indiana Pacers starting on Sunday. Coach Doc Rivers said that Lillard was able to do everything in today’s practice.
Lillard said that he had a couple of things bothering him leading up to last weekend that kept him on the sidelines.
“Today was my first day doing live stuff, but I was battling a few nagging things leading up to that last week,” Lillard said. “And then going on that last road trip, I knew I wasn’t going to play the OKC game and then the Orlando game, we don’t know how everything else is going to go, so let’s give it a go. And then, halfway through the game, we see Cleveland lost. Second quarter of that game, I kind of aggravated my Achilles, so after that, it was just like ‘We got a week to get right, to get ready’.’ And that was kind of the focus, so I didn’t wanna go out there with my pride or doing anything unnecessary.”
Lillard also added, “it was good to get back into it. Obviously it’s going to take me that much time. I needed today, and then tomorrow will be a better day. Even if it’s not live, I’ll just feel better after getting into action and be ready for Sunday.”
Lillard has been on the injury report with a couple different things – left adductor soreness, left hip soreness, right adductor strain, right groin strain – over the last month of the season, so I asked what he felt was bothering him most this last week.
His response: pic.twitter.com/92oxWcnRxd
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 19, 2024
He also mentioned that despite all these issues – left hip soreness, right adductor strain, left adductor, right groin strain – over the last month, the adductor is what’s been bothering him the most. Lillard said that the Toronto game on Apr. 5 where Giannis sat out, felt like a heavy work load and felt like he kind of overdid it, further irritating his adductors.
Lillard Heading Back to the Playoffs
This’ll be the first time since 2021 that Lillard is seeing playoffs action. He missed out the last two years with the Portland Trail Blazers, and hasn’t advanced past the first round since the Blazers reached the Western Conference Finals in 2019.
“I always thought I had a chance to win, but being in this situation, I keep taking myself back to how I feel when I got traded here, realizing the opportunity was right in front of me,” Lillard said. “I kind of refocus myself on that. The season is over and this is what we came here to have an opportunity to do, whether we’re healthy or not, eventually we will be. If our mind is right, we’re going to have every opportunity to get something done.”
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