Is Damian Lillard playing tonight against Portland Trail Blazers? Exploring 8x NBA All-Star's availability (Jan. 28)

The Milwaukee Bucks are in Portland to play the Trail Blazers. That sentence carries some extra weight as it will be another emotional day for Damian Lillard, returning to the ground he used to call home. This will be the second and final matchup between the two non-conference teams, with the Bucks looking to avenge an earlier season loss.

Damian Lillard is not on the team's injury report, so he's most likely to suit up for the homecoming clash. The star point guard has been in stellar form recently and has consecutively played in the last 15 games. The last time he missed a game due to injury was the 105-111 Brooklyn Nets loss on Dec. 27.

The Bucks come into the game in top form, hoping to make it seven wins in the last eight games after defeating the Utah Jazz on their recent road trip. Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo combined to score 70 points in the game, with Khris Middleton adding 22 points in a 125-110 win.

Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers’s recent resurgence was halted in a 108-118 loss to the Western Conference leaders, the OKC Thunder, despite some good performances from Deni Avdija, Scoot Henderson, and Toumani Camara. Before the loss, the Rip City were on a four-game winning streak.

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Damian Lillard's stats vs Trail Blazers

Since the Blazers traded Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, there’s a little extra juice to it, especially when the game takes place in Portland. Lillard’s first Moda Center outing as a rival ended in defeat on Jan. 31 last year. 'Dame Time' scored 25 points in the narrow 116-119 defeat.

So far, he has faced the Blazers three times, averaging an impressive 37.9 points per game. His highest-scoring performance against Portland came home on Nov. 1, 2023, when he scored 31 points.

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What to expect from Milwaukee Bucks vs. Portland Trail Blazers?

Damian Lillard has been ever-present and impressive for the Bucks, averaging 25.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game in 36 outings this season while being accurate with 44.7 FG percent.

However, it will be another tough test for him to get his first win at the Moda Center. If Lillard can put together a performance much like the one against the Utah Jazz, then there is no reason he cannot do the same tonight. He became the point guard with the third-most 35-point games in NBA history.

Blazers fans still love Lillard, and the fans and team will likely give him a very warm reception. Knowing the eight-time NBA All-Star, he’ll be proud of that but more focused on his team finding a way to get the win.