Doc Rivers Optimistic About Damian Lillard’s Return Amidst Playoff Push

Doc Rivers Optimistic About Damian Lillard’s Return Amidst Playoff Push

PHILADELPHIA — The Milwaukee Bucks are in a bit of a pickle as they navigate the final stretch of the NBA regular season. With the playoffs looming, the team is anxiously awaiting the return of their star player, Damian Lillard, who has been sidelined due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. Bucks coach Doc Rivers recently shared some encouraging news, stating that Lillard is feeling good and that there is “much more hope today” than there was a few days ago regarding his potential return this season.

Lillard has missed his eighth consecutive game, sitting out Thursday’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Bucks made the decision to keep Lillard off the road trip, despite receiving a “great report” on his recovery. Rivers explained, “‘Why mess with it?’ was our thing, when flying or anything could affect that. We have much more hope today than we did three days ago, I can tell you that. And so we’re going to take everything that we can do to see if there’s a way we can get him back.”

Last week, Milwaukee announced that Lillard would be out indefinitely following his diagnosis. This situation differs from that of San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who was ruled out for the season in February after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

With the regular season wrapping up in just 10 days and the playoffs set to begin in 16 or 17 days, the Bucks are preparing for the possibility that Lillard may not return. Rivers emphasized the need to adjust the team’s strategy accordingly, stating, “There’s no balance. You work on what we don’t have … because there’s no guarantee we are going to have him.”

Rivers elaborated on the challenges the team faces without Lillard, particularly during the nine minutes when Giannis Antetokounmpo is not on the court. “We get him back, we know how to play. But we don’t know how to play in the long term without him. And so it’s really the nine Giannis minutes that we have to figure out. Before there was either a non Giannis, but you had Dame, and now you don’t have that. So that’s what we’re working on every day and I haven’t been great at it yet, so we got work to do.”

Turnovers have been a significant issue for the Bucks recently, contributing to a deficit in total shot attempts. Rivers pointed out that the team has been struggling with giving up offensive rebounds and not forcing turnovers, which must change for playoff success. “I can’t put my finger on it, honestly,” Rivers said of the turnover issues. “We turn it over in a lot of ways. But I do know this — we can’t win games. … The other night, they took 18 more shots. The night before, they took 19 more shots. You know how well you have to shoot the ball to win a game like that?”

As of Thursday, Milwaukee was a half-game behind the Detroit Pistons for fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. With several winnable games ahead, including Thursday’s game against the tanking 76ers, the Bucks have a chance to improve their position before facing Detroit in their final two games of the season.

• Milwaukee Bucks are currently a half-game behind the Detroit Pistons for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.
• Damian Lillard has missed eight consecutive games due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.
• The regular season ends in 10 days, with playoffs starting in 16 or 17 days.
• Doc Rivers is tied with Phil Jackson for seventh place in all-time NBA regular season wins with 1,155.

Securing the fifth spot in the East playoff picture would be advantageous for the Bucks, as it would mean avoiding a challenging path through the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Cleveland Cavaliers to reach the NBA Finals.

Rivers, who was unable to coach Thursday’s game due to an illness, is on the verge of surpassing Hall of Famer Phil Jackson in all-time NBA regular season wins. Reflecting on his career, Rivers said, “Yeah, it’s awesome. Just says I’ve had a lot of success. I’ve done a lot of good things in this job, but I’ve also had a lot of help. I’ve had great coaches with me. I have an amazing staff now. I’ve had some pretty good players throughout my career, but winning is what we’re supposed to do and I try to do that, but I don’t count, don’t look. I don’t know. That’s not why I’m doing it. I’ll put it that way.”