Damian Lillard Out for Bucks vs. Raptors, Reportedly Suffered Concussion vs. Celtics

Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard entered concussion protocol and has been ruled out of Tuesday's matchup against the Toronto Raptors, the team announced Monday.

NBA insider Chris Haynes provided more info on Lillard:

Despite the Bucks' early-season struggles, Lillard has been great, putting up 26 points, 6.6 assists and 4.6 boards amid Milwaukee's 2-8 start.

While the Bucks would prefer to have Lillard on the court, his absence will come at a forgiving time as they'll take on the Raptors, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets this week—a very manageable slate even without Lillard.

The concussion marks Lillard's first injury of the season, but he dealt with some injuries late last season.

During the 2024 postseason, Lillard was ruled out of Milwaukee's Game 4 matchup against the Indiana Pacers in the first round due to a strained right Achilles tendon. After sitting out Games 4 and 5, he returned for Game 6 and scored a team-high 28 points, but the Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs after losing the series 4-2.

Lillard said he had been experiencing discomfort in his right Achilles dating back to Milwaukee's regular-season finale. He sat out the first few days of practice ahead of the postseason to recover in time for the Bucks' first-round series against the Pacers.

In his first year in Milwaukee, Lillard enjoyed his healthiest season in quite some time, appearing in 73 games and averaging 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists. It was his first time appearing in 70 or more games since the 2018-19 season when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Bucks are certainly hoping Lillard can stay healthy this year as they try to bounce back from the disappointing end to last season. He'll be forced to miss a bit of time for now though, and AJ Green will likely be inserted as Milwaukee's starting point guard.