Prior to this game, Lillard last played on March 18 due to a deep vein thrombosis in his calf. He missed 15 games before finally returning to play in Game 2 of this series. However, his return wasn’t enough for Milwaukee to even this series. Head coach Doc Rivers didn’t give a set minutes restriction for Lillard before the game, and he ended up logging 37 minutes. Though he didn’t play particularly well, Lillard playing a full workload is an encouraging sign. Game 3 isn’t until Friday, so Lillard will have time to recover after his first game in over a month.

Lillard has not played since March 18, but he’ll be available for Game 2 after Milwaukee got smoked in Game 1. Lillard did some chirping with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam from the bench in that one, so expect him to be fired up when he takes the court on Tuesday.

Nehm quotes head coach Doc Rivers as saying that, “He’s close. He looks great to me.” When asked about Dame’s availability for Game 2, Rivers was non-committal, opening the door for a potential return earlier than expected. For now, we’ll consider Lillard questionable for Game 2. Keep a close eye on his status ahead of Tuesday’s tip-off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Lillard last appeared in a game on March 18, as a deep vein thrombosis in his calf placed the Bucks guard on the sidelines. Cleared of the issue on Thursday, Lillard has participated in recent practices, which have included some 3-on-3 action. Conditioning is the concern at this stage, as he was unable to do anything during the early stages of the DVT. Game 2 of the series is on Tuesday, with the Bucks hosting Game 3 on Friday. Ryan Rollins has been Lillard’s replacement in the starting lineup, with Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as the “point guard.”