4/18/25 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Friday
18 April 2025 Sports
Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard is off blood-thinning medication and has been cleared for full basketball activity, a major step forward in his return from the deep vein thrombosis that has kept him out for the last month.
The Bucks still aren’t indicating exactly when the seven-time all-NBA performer might play again, though he has been ruled out for their first playoff game. The Bucks are seeded fifth in the Eastern Conference and open the playoffs Saturday at Indiana against the fourth-seeded Pacers. Tipoff is at noon
“This could have been career threatening,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “Or it was. The fact there’s a very good chance he’s going to play in the playoffs for us, that’s a godsend.”
Lillard last played in a game March 18. The Bucks announced a week later that Lillard had deep vein thrombosis in his right calf and was undergoing blood-thinning medication.
Deep vein thrombosis is an abnormal clot within a vessel where the congealing of blood blocks the flow through on the way back to the heart.
Lillard’s return enabled him to participate in the Bucks’ Thursday practice.
“We didn’t go a lot live today, but he was in practice throughout practice today,” Rivers said. “Now we’ve just got to see where he’s at physically. It’s going to take a minute.”
Lillard, 34, finished the regular season ranked 10th in scoring (24.9) and 10th in assists (7.1). He earned his ninth All-Star Game selection this year.
Milwaukee went 10-4 without Lillard over its last 14 regular-season games and enters the playoffs on an eight-game winning streak.
But the Bucks still know they’re a much better team when Lillard’s on the floor.
“We’ve gone from thinking it was like 99% out to now, very positive signs that he’s going to be in at some point,” Rivers said.
Rivers said he’s hoping Lillard could return at some point in this series but added: “I just don’t know.”
The Brewers were off Thursday but are back on the field tonight hosting the Athletics in the first game of a weekend series. RHP Freddy Peralta (1-1, 2.31 ERA) against another right-hander J.T. Ginn (1-0, 1.69 ERA). First pitch is at 7:10 from American Family Field.
In games played Thursday in the Central Division the Pirates shutout the Nationals 1-0, the Mariners beat the Reds 11-7 and the Mets over the Cardinals 4-1. The Brewers trail the Cubs by a game, the Reds and Cardinals are two games out and the Pirates 3 ½ games behind.
In the Midwest League Thursday the Lansing Lugnuts beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 4-3.
Brewers veteran pitcher Brandon Woodruff will make an appearance with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Friday.
Woodruff will start the first game of Wisconsin’s day-night doubleheader against the Lansing Lugnuts, which is scheduled to start at 1:10 p.m. at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.
It was previously announced Woodruff would start the second game of the doubleheader.
Woodruff missed all of the 2024 season after having shoulder surgery in November 2023.
Game on starts at 1:10 from Fox Cities Stadium.
The likelihood that wide receiver Christian Watson will miss much of the upcoming season creates a dilemma for the Green Bay Packers as they make their draft plans.
Watson, the Packers’ top deep option, tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the Packers’ 2024 regular-season finale.
“It won’t shock me at all if he’s a big factor for us this season, but at the same time. these are big injuries,” general manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters at the NFL owners meetings. “We have to make sure that we’re protected in case that doesn’t happen.”
The Packers’ only free-agent addition at receiver was the speedy Mecole Hardman, who has just 27 catches over the past two seasons. Even if Watson’s unavailable, the Packers return three other wideouts who had at least 400 yards receiving last season in Jayden Reed (55 catches, 857 yards), Romeo Doubs (46 for 601 yards) and Dontayvion Wicks (39 for 415 yards).
The Packers haven’t selected a wide receiver in the first round since taking Javon Walker 20th overall in 2002. It would be quite the story if they finally took one that early the year Green Bay hosts the draft.
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers have a new owner.
Third Base Ventures, led by Craig Dickman, Rob Zerjav and Brad Raaths, announced Thursday it has agreed to sell the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers to Diamond Baseball Holdings (DBH), an organization that owns and operates select Minor League Baseball (MiLB) clubs affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB).
The Timber Rattlers will remain in the Fox Cities as the High-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. The existing front office staff will continue to operate the club under the leadership of Zerjav, who is the team’s president and CEO.
As part of the transaction, DBH is also purchasing Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, the team’s home ballpark since it opened in 1995.
As part of the transaction, DBH is also purchasing Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium, the team’s home ballpark since it opened in 1995.
The NFL announced a country music artist will headline its NFL Draft Concert Series..
Brad Paisley will end the NFL Draft on Saturday, April 26.
The draft concert will start about half an hour after the final pick is made in the draft. The NFL expects the concert start time to be around 7 p.m., with that depending on how long teams take to make their picks.
The concert will take place at the Draft Theater adjacent to Lambeau Field. General fan viewing for the concert is free and fans are encouraged to arrive early, as standing room will be on a first-come first-served basis. The area will remain open throughout Draft programming.
As part of the weekend’s entertainment lineup, the Friday nighttime show will light up the Green Bay skyline with a cutting-edge display of more than 500 drones flying in choreographed formations above Lambeau Field.
Local organizers have compared the NFL Draft concert to the free kickoff concert many experienced in 2011 before the Packers’ home opener, the season after they won the Super Bowl.
Kid Rock, Lady A and Maroon 5 performed for about 100,000 people outside Lambeau Field.
The NFL Draft concert Saturday is in addition to downtown Green Bay’s Draft City Music Fest which starts at 5 p.m. and features Less Than Jake headlining at 10 p.m.
Thursday Schedule
Baseball (Thurs.)
Ripon 3 Winneconne 1
Waupun 21 Berlin 0
Kettle Moraine Lutheran 2 Kewaskum 0
Campbellsport 7 Mayville 5
Laconia 12 Omro 0
Beaver Dam 5 DeForest 3
Seymour 11 Menasha 5
Shawano 18 Green Bay East/West 1
Xavier 5 West De Pere 3
Tri-County 6 Wild Rose 0
Fond du Lac11 Oshkosh West 3
Hortonville 8 Neenah 5
Kaukauna 4 Appleton West 1
Appleton North 5 Kimberly 2
Appleton East 13 Oshkosh North 1
Denmark 7 Clintonville 1
Freedom 4 Waupaca 3
Wautoma 4 Adams-Friendship 3
Mauston 6 Nekoosa 1
Wisconsin Dells 4 Westfield 0
Lourdes Academy/Valley Christian 3 Central Wisconsin Christian 2
Horicon 3 Oakfield 2
Montello 7 Cambria-Friesland 4
Fall River 13 Randolph 0
Markesan 10 Rio 4
Girls Softball (Thurs.)
Plymouth 9 Ripon 4
Kettle Moraine Lutheran 12 Berlin 1
Kewaskum 1 Waupun 0
Winneconne 9 Seymour 6
Lomira 11 Campbellsport3
Laconia 21 Omro 0
Mayville 12 North Fond du Lac 0
Oregon 4 Beaver Dam 0
Menasha at West De Pere 5 Menasha 4
Shawano 5 New London 2
Xavier 12 Green Bay West/East 1
Southern Door 12 Weyauwega-Fremont 3
Fond du Lac 10 Oshkosh West 2
Hortonville 4 Neenah 0
Kaukauna 19 Appleton West 0
Kiimberly 3 Appleton North 0
Appleton East 10 Oshkosh North 6
Freedom 12 Clintonville 2
Oconto Falls 8 Waupaca 1
Wautoma 6 Wisconsin Dells 4
Adams-Friendship 22 Mauston 0
Nekoosa at Westfield
Dodgeland/Hustisford 21 Horicon 2
Oakfield 17 Lourdes Academy 0
Cambria-Friesland 10 Princeton/Green Lake 2
Markesan 17 Montello 1
Pardeeville 10 Randolph 0
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