When will Damian Lillard return to action after suffering head injury? Latest on Bucks superstar's return timeline

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Damian Lillard will not play in the team's NBA Cup game against the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday. The eight-time NBA All-Star has been ruled out with a concussion after he suffered a head injury during the Bucks' 113-107 loss against the Boston Celtics at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Sunday.

At the end of the third quarter, Lillard took an accidental hit to the head in an unusual play. The referee signaled “no basket” because Giannis Antetokounmpo's shot attempt didn’t leave his hand before the buzzer. During the moment, the referee inadvertently struck Lillard in the head as he was following through on the "no basket" signal.

Senior NBA insider Chris Hayne confirmed that Lillard was experiencing "headaches" and "dizziness" on Monday and will sit out the game against the Raptors. Haynes also mentioned that the former Portland Trail Blazers star could make his return as early as Wednesday when the Bucks face off against the Detroit Pistons.

"Sources: Damian Lillard received hit to head near end of third quarter against Celtics on Sunday," Haynes said in a tweet on X formerly Twitter).

"Experienced headaches and dizziness today. Tests confirmed a concussion. There’s a possibility he could be cleared by Wednesday’s game against Pistons."

The Milwaukee Bucks had earlier also announced that Lillard will be sidelined for the game against the Raptors due to concussion protocol. Meanwhile, the star guard had a tough shooting night against the Celtics, hitting just 4 of 15 shots from the field, including 1 of 8 from beyond the arc, and finished with 14 points.

Damian Lillard in 2024-25 season so far

Damian Lillard has suited up for all 10 games of the season for the Milwaukee Bucks but will miss his first game on Tuesday. Despite Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo performing at an elite level, the Bucks have struggled significantly, winning only two of their 10 games and sitting in 14th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

Lillard has been consistent, averaging 26.0 points on 44.4% shooting from the field, including 34.8% from beyond the arc. He is also contributing 4.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game. Bucks fans are hopeful that Lillard will quickly recover from this recent setback, as his presence is crucial for the team to start building some much-needed momentum.