Is Damian Lillard playing tonight against the Washington Wizards? Latest injury update on Bucks superstar (Feb. 21)

With the Milwaukee Bucks jockeying for a playoff position, Damian Lillard's presence is urgently needed for every contest moving forward. Shortly before the All-Star break, Lillard was out one game due to a calf injury.

So will Lillard be suiting up for the Bucks' matchup against the Washington Wizards on Friday? The nine-time All-Star is ruled out after being listed as questionable for this matchup.

In the Bucks' first game after the All-Star festivities, Lillard hardly showed signs of the calf injury's persisting effects as he played over 32 minutes, second only to newcomer Kyle Kuzma's 37-minute outing. "Dame Dolla" finished this game with 15 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

This season, Damian Lillard leads Milwaukee in assists (7.5 a game). He is also the second-leading scorer (25.8 ppg) on the team behind franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo (31.8).

Lillard is still in hot pursuit of his first NBA title while his teammate Antetokounmpo wants a second ring. During the recently concluded trade season, the Bucks front office added new pieces to the team by acquiring Kuzma from the Wizards in a three-team trade.

While the 6-foot-9 scoring whiz brings a new dimension to the Bucks' offense, the team also parted ways with Khris Middleton, who won the 2021 title alongside Antetokounmpo.

Time will tell if the new-look Bucks can help Damian Lillard finally reach the NBA's summit.

Damian Lillard on his mindset in first outing after All-Star break: "You just gotta stay in the game"

After the Bucks-Clippers game on Thursday, Lillard admitted that he had a bit of a rough outing as he had stayed busy over the All-Star Weekend. He also opened up on his mindset as he strove to push himself to the limit in this 116-110 victory.

"I knew coming in that it was going to be more of a mental game for me," Lillard said (0:43). "The whole time, I was just telling myself, you just gotta stay in the game."

Damian Lillard's inner resolve paid off on the night, but he will have to push himself further as the Bucks try to secure homecourt advantage in the playoffs.