Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard will miss the start of the first round of the playoffs as he continues to deal with a blood clot in his leg, a source told ESPN's Shams Charania.
However, Lillard has significantly progressed in his treatment, and the Bucks are optimistic he'll be cleared at some point in the postseason, Charania reports.
"Damian's most recent weekly scan shows that his injury has significantly improved, which will enable him to move ahead safely with increased basketball activity," general manager Jon Horst said in a statement Tuesday.
Lillard remains ineligible for contact drills but will be allowed to participate in a more intense shooting regimen, head coach Doc Rivers told The Athletic's Eric Nehm.
Lillard's averaging 24.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists in 58 games this campaign.
The Bucks have largely thrived in Lillard's absence, posting a 10-4 record since he was sidelined on March 18 and finishing the campaign on an eight-game winning streak. The team snagged the fifth seed and will take on the No. 4 Indiana Pacers in a rematch of last season's first round. Milwaukee went 3-1 in its four regular-season games versus Indy.
Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
