"DONT RUN HALIBURTON": Fans go wild as Damian Lillard set to make Playoff return in Game 2 against Pacers
For the past month, Damian Lillard has found himself sidelined due to a blood clot diagnosis. While this ailment has left players across the league sidelined for extended periods, the Milwaukee Bucks remained confident he'd be back this season.
Heading into their opening-round matchup with the Indiana Pacers, the Bucks were without the services of their star point guard. Despite a dominant performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee was unable to secure a victory in Game 1.
After numerous positive updates about him ramping up his activity, Damian Lillard seems poised to make his return to action. On Tuesday morning, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that he will be in the lineup for Game 2 against the Pacers. Milwaukee and Indiana kick off Tuesday's playoff slate, with tip-off scheduled for 1:00 pm Eastern Time.
Fans elated to see Damian Lillard make his return against the Indiana Pacers
Seeing that there is no love lost between these two squads, fans wanted to see them battle it out in the playoffs at full strength. Though Milwaukee was shorthanded to start the series, they'll have their superstar duo the rest of the way.
Shortly after reports emerged of Damian Lillard's impending return, fans flooded social media with excitement.
Everyone is eager to see what kind of impact the superstar guard can have on the rest of the series moving forward.
"Time for playoff dame to cook," one fan said.
"Lillard szn, let's get it," another fan said.
"Probably dropping a 40 piece too after they were talking sh*t lol #dametime," said one fan.
Damian Lillard's return drastically changes this series for numerous reasons. For starters, the Pacers now have two high-caliber talents they need to contain defensively. Also, Lillard has a history of pulling out his best performances in big games.
Now in his mid-30s, Lillard is still one of the top offensive guards in the league. During the regular season, he averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists on 37.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Though he'll likely be rusty having not played for weeks, he'll surely be coming out of the gates looking to make an impact.
As of now, it remains unclear if Lillard will be under any kind of minutes restriction in his return against the Pacers. Based on how long he's been out and why, Doc Rivers is likely to manage his workload to some degree. Nonetheless, getting Lillard back in any capacity is huge for the Bucks as they look to even up the series.