Damian Lillard 'Progressing Positively' After Blood Clot Diagnosis, Bucks' Rivers Says

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers offered a slight update on star point guard Damian Lillard, who remains sidelined with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.

"Everything is still progressing positively," Rivers told reporters on Thursday. "Last test was fantastic. So, you know, that's about all I have. Fingers crossed."

Lillard, 34, last played on March 18 and remains out indefinitely, making a return for the playoffs is possible but probably unlikely.

"(The timeline) definitely has changed, medically," Rivers told reporters over the weekend. "Which is good. The location of it is very important as well. And it is, it's lower. But, it still could be six months. We just don't know."

Lillard's time in Milwaukee has been a bit of a letdown since he was traded before last season to the Bucks from the Portland Trail Blazers. The team underachieved last season, going 49-33 but losing in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs to the Indiana Pacers, beset by injuries. That campaign had more than its fair share of difficulties, which included the firing of former head coach Adrian Griffin midseason despite a 30-13 start.

The Bucks have had more continuity and less drama this season, though injuries appear likely to hamper them again. Lillard has appeared in 58 games, averaging 24.9 points and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 37.6 percent from three. The Bucks have gone 45-34 and currently sit at fifth in the Eastern Conference, likely facing a first-round rematch against Indiana.

The pairing of Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo remains one of the more dynamic duos in basketball, but the former's absence threatens to upend the team's high hopes yet again.