Damian Lillard Cleared to Return from Blood Clot for Bucks vs. Pacers Game 2

Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard will officially return from a blood clot in his calf for Tuesday night's Game 2 against the Indiana Pacers, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.

Lillard's health was a major focal point for the Bucks entering the playoffs, as his final regular-season game came on March 18. He missed the rest of the regular season because of deep vein thrombosis in his right calf.

Milwaukee released an update on April 15 ahead of its first-round series against the Indiana Pacers, revealing he would miss the start of the postseason.

"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. "Damian's health remains our No. 1 priority. We have followed strict protocols and will continue to do so. We are pleased with the positive news about Damian's progress."

Charania reported on the same day that there was "optimism for his clearance at some point in the playoffs."

While the Bucks have Giannis Antetokounmpo as their go-to option, Lillard is their second-leading scorer. He averaged 24.9 points, 7.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from deep during the regular season.

His presence and ability to stretch the floor creates better driving lanes for Antetokounmpo and others, and he has also made a habit of taking over games in crunch time throughout his career.

The Bucks are far more dangerous with Lillard on the court. They will need him to hit the ground running after they suffered a blowout Game 1 loss without him on Saturday.