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Bucks Injury Report: Damian Lillard Shockingly Ruled Out Ahead of Cavs Matchup

Matt Levine

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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The Milwaukee Bucks have ruled star guard Damian Lillard out ahead of their matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Lillard is dealing with a right calf strain and the team is being cautious with his status moving forward.

Lillard is coming off helping the Bucks win the NBA Cup so his absence in this highly-anticipated game is a shock. But the Bucks would rather preserve him for the long-haul rather than a mid-December game against the Cavaliers.

In addition to Lillard being on the injury report, Milwaukee has also listed both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. This means all three stars for the Bucks have landed on the injury report ahead of this game.

Antetokounmpo is dealing with right patella tendinopathy but is listed as probable for the contest. Middleton is also being listed as probable for the game against Cleveland as he deals with a non-Covid illness.

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It seems that the Bucks will have their other two stars in this game, barring any unforeseen changes to the injury report. They will need both to have a chance against the Cavaliers.

Going up against the Cavaliers, Milwaukee will need to fully focus if they want to come away with a victory. Cleveland has been the best team in the NBA all season and it will take a total team effort to get the win on Friday.

Without Lillard, others on the Milwaukee side will need to heavily step up in this game. The Bucks have been playing strong basketball as of late, overcoming a poor start to the NBA season.

After winning the NBA Cup championship, Milwaukee has fully put its bad start in the rearview mirror. The Bucks are back to being viewed as true NBA contenders and they look like one of the best teams in the NBA.

Milwaukee holds a record of 14-11 on the season and has started to click together. It took some time for things to fall into place but this Bucks team seems to have everything needed to truly go after a title.

They will need health to be on their side, making it even more of a reason to sit Lillard in this game.

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

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