"Damian Lillard thinks he's a gangster" - Fans react to Bucks star getting technical foul from bench after verbal exchange with Tyrese Haliburton

Nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard may not have been in action on Saturday when the Milwaukee Bucks faced off with the Indiana Pacers, but after being cleared of a blood clot, he was able to fly with the team to Indiana for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

As the Bucks attempted to rally in the fourth quarter, Lillard wound up picking up a technical foul from the bench while going back-and-forth with Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.

Although it's unclear what exactly sparked the back-and-forth, Lillard was seen saying "You gon see" to Haliburton, referencing the news that he's expecting to be back in action for either Game 2 or Game 3 of the series.

The NBA community was quick to weigh in on the situation, with some members siding with Haliburton:

"Damian lillard think he a gangster go sit down or suit up," one wrote.

"His a*s is on the sideline and not playing, needs to shut up," one fan replied.

"See what? His bloodclot?," another wrote.

Others stood up for Lillard, expressing excitement around his return to action:

"Dame bouta fry them," one wrote.

"Back this up Dame," another added.

As previously mentioned, Shams Charania reported earlier in the day that Damian Lillard is expected to play in either Game 2 or Game 3 of the series after remarkably recovering from deep vein thrombosis just weeks after his diagnosis.

Now, the focus is on getting Lillard in game shape after the veteran guard missed a full month of action following his diagnosis.

Looking at Game 1 of the Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers series ahead of Damian Lillard's return

In Game 1 of the Milwaukee Bucks-Indiana Pacers playoff series, Milwaukee struggled to get going the way the team hoped.

In the first half, the team was outscored 67-43, with Milwaukee's four starters besides Giannis Antetokounmpo combining for just nine points. Throughout the game, Milwaukee's starting unit failed to find its rhythm, with the exception of Antetokounmpo, who ended Game 1 with 36 points.

Other notable players, such as Kyle Kuzma, finished without recording a single stat, while Taurean Prince logged zero points and Brook Lopez logged just nine.

The team also notably struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 24.3% from downtown compared to 38.2% from Indiana. Additionally, Milwaukee didn't take care of the ball, doubling Indiana's turnover total for the game while logging fewer stocks as well.

After the team came up short in Game 1, they will look to get back in the win column on Tuesday when they compete in Game 2. If Damian Lillard doesn't wind up returning for Game 2, look for him to be back in action on Friday when the series heads back to Milwaukee for games three and four.