Doc Rivers believed he would have one of his superstars practice this week in point guard Damian Lillard – and that belief was fulfilled Friday when the all-star went through a session in advance of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs against Indiana.

"He looked good," Rivers said.

The Milwaukee Bucks head coach had expected Lillard to practice Tuesday, but he was a late scratch by the medical staff. In the regular-season finale in Orlando on April 14, Lillard admitted he irritated a sore left adductor muscle and said even after a week off it wouldn’t be “perfect.”

By Tuesday, Rivers said the star had imaging done. Lillard said while he felt some irritation in one of his Achilles tendons, the adductor (which runs from the pelvic bone to the knee on the inside of the thigh) was the thing that had been lingering since April 5.

"After that it was just like we got a week to get right, to get ready and that was kind of the focus," Lillard said on Friday. "I didn't want to go out there with my pride or doing anything unnecessary. That was kind of the plan."

Lillard did shoot a bit and went through walkthroughs on Wednesday and participated in all aspects of the practice Friday.

"I felt solid," he said. "Obviously you take a couple days off the court and you get back on the court, our young guys out there doing the scout, they running fast as hell, getting up and down the court, it was good to get back into it. But obviously it's going to take me that much time. I needed today and then (Saturday) will be a better day. Even if it's not live, I'll just feel better after getting in the action and be ready for Sunday."

Giannis Antetokounmpo injury update: 'We're still hopeful'

The two-time MVP continued to be held out of practice as he recovers from a strained left soleus (calf) muscle suffered April 9 against Boston. Lillard suffered a strain in that muscle in 2022 and returned to play 15 days after suffering the injury.

Antetokounmpo was in the gym and participated in walkthrough on Friday but Rivers said the star did no live work -- but that doesn't mean he was ready to rule Antetokounmpo out for Sunday.

"I don't know, yet. No," Rivers said. "We're still hoping. He hadn't done anything. So, would we throw him out there? Yeah. We would. But, for us, it's still we're not sure."

Game 2 against the Pacers would be exactly two weeks to the date of injury. Game 3 (17 days) and Game 4 (19 days) obviously afford more time for recovery. Should the series extend back to Milwaukee for a Game 5, that would be exactly three weeks out on April 30 – but there are only single off days between games at that point with Game 6 in Indiana on May 2 and Game 7 in Milwaukee on May 4.

More: Game times, schedule set for Bucks vs Pacers in first round of 2024 NBA playoffs

AJ Green injury update

The Bucks will also be without shooting guard AJ Green for the start of the Pacers series, as the second-year player continues to rehab a sprained left ankle suffered April 10. Green was injured on a play where he drove to the basket and got two free throws, but he stayed in to finish the half. The team announced he had an MRI on the ankle but he didn’t suffer additional damage.

Rivers said Green was able to do "most things" in the practice, with the key being able to play Sunday vs. the Pacers as opposed to finishing out the session.

Green’s injury is not as headline-grabbing as his two MVP caliber-teammates, but he was the second-best three-point shooter on the team at 40.8% behind Malik Beasley. And after Rivers took over the job on Jan. 29, Green averaged nearly 15 minutes per game off the bench.

"We would either extend 'Beas' or Khris' minutes," Rivers said if Green can't play vs. the Pacers. "We have to keep shooting on the floor. But AJ has not only been good offensively, I think he's been very good defensively. I think he's been one of our guard rebounders as well. I mean, obviously we would love him to play. He looked good today."

Green has been solid in the Bucks’ zone schemes and created space on offense with his ability to consistently knock down threes. Beasley has since been moved to the second unit, but after him the team doesn’t have any other consistent three-point threats in the back court. Pat Connaughton has been given more ball handling duties, but he shot 34.5% from deep this season.

Damian Lillard, Bobby Portis not selected to U.S. Olympic team

The Bucks point guard was not named to the 2024 U.S. Men’s National team for the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. A starter on the 2020 gold medal team in Tokyo, Lillard was in the original player pool for the U.S. team, along with Bucks teammate Bobby Portis.

When asked earlier in the season about playing for the national team again Lillard was non-committal, citing the massive changes in his personal and professional life in moving from Portland to Milwaukee – and the hope that the Bucks would play deep into June.

"They reached out to me, maybe two months ago, two and a half months ago about it," Lillard said. "I told them I was interested but my No. 1 focus was always this season. Being away from my family, being away from my kids is something that I was never 100% committed to for that reason. It would have been hard to have a long season here and then take off and go play in the Olympics and just missing that time with my kids and my family. That was something that was more on my mind than anything. So, I'm not bothered by it all.

"I never committed to it and I was also never like, 'I don't want to go.' So, the roster I think they got a full roster now, so I'm not offended by it at all."

Portis was on the U.S. team last summer for the FIBA World Cup.

The Olympic Games begin July 26 and run through Aug. 11.

Team USA managing director Grant Hill and head coach Steve Kerr ultimately selected former Bucks and current Boston point guard Jrue Holiday, Oshkosh native and Indiana point guard Tyrese Haliburton and Golden State point guard Stephen Curry for the team.

Thanasis, Giannis and Kostas Antetokounmpo are expected to play for the Greek national team, which must advance through a qualifier July 2-7 to make the Olympic Games. It is expected that Greece will have to beat the Luka Dončić-led Slovenian team in the qualifying final.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Is Giannis playing in Game 1? Damian Lillard improves for playoffs