Damian Lillard hyped about Giannis Antetokounmmpo's 'hunger' as Bucks gear up for playoff campaign

Damian Lillard opens up about Giannis Antetokounmpo's enthusiasm heading into the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The Milwaukee Bucks will play the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. While the Pacers technically have the advantage of being one seed higher than the Bucks, Antetokounmpo seems ready to defy the odds.

In the last six games Giannis played in the regular season, the Greek Freak put up five triple-double performances. Having those performances, Antetokounmpo has all the momentum heading into the first round. Lillard revealed Giannis is hungrier than ever, especially after missing the playoffs last season due to injuries.

"You miss the playoffs for a couple of years and you played the entire season for a chance to play in the playoffs, and then you don't get to play," Damian Lillard recalled Giannis Antetokounmpo's postseason absences. "Obviously, the hunger is there. ... I haven't seen it like how excited he is to be back in the playoffs and it gets me excited."

Lillard also expressed his excitement about being cleared to play in the postseason. Lillard was forced to sit out due to deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. It was unclear whether Dame would make a comeback or not, given the severity of his injury.

"You know, I was getting excited before I knew I was going to be playing," Lillard continued. "Now that I know I'm going to have the opportunity to play, it's all coming together in perfect timing."

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Damian Lillard cleared to play in 2025 NBA Playoffs

For the past month, Damian Lillard has been dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. Since then, Lillard went through immediate medication, considering how fatal his injury could have been. The doctors have done their best to help Damiam recover as he has been cleared to participate in the upcoming 2025 NBA Playoffs.

According to reports, Lillard is now free from blood-thinning medication. That means the Milwaukee Bucks star can now move around freely on the hardwood without any restrictions. However, Dame is still ruled out of Saturday's game against the Indiana Pacers.

While nothing has been made final yet, the expectation is that Damian Lillard could make his return come Game 3 of the first round. Hopefully, Giannis Antetokounmpo can hold down the fort while his All-Star duo prepares to get back into game shape.