Brook Lopez injury update: Bucks big man cleared for full contact 5-on-5 after back surgery

The Milwaukee Bucks picked up an impressive win on Friday, beating the Chicago Bulls 118-112 to vault their Central Division rivals for third place in the Eastern Conference. That alone would have been a great night, but the Bucks also received some positive news about their long-injured big man, Brook Lopez, who has been out since opening night with a back injury.

During his pre-game press conference, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer announced that Lopez has been cleared to be a full participant in practice, and will start doing five-on-five work in the coming days. Lopez was also out on the floor with the Bucks prior to the game, going through warm-ups.

"Brook is going to start contact and 5-on-5 scrimmaging, which really doesn't happen much this time of year and so he hadn't had any of that yet," Budenholzer said. "So he will now start having some scrimmage and contact and we'll organize that. It's another good positive step for him."

There's still no definitive timeline for Lopez's return, but now that he's been cleared for full contact and is traveling with the team it should be just a matter of time. Barring any setbacks, Lopez should be back on the court before the end of the regular season in mid-April.

After Lopez played 28 minutes in an opening-night win over the Brooklyn Nets, the Bucks put him on the injury report with back soreness, and it soon became apparent that he wasn't dealing with a short-term problem. Eventually, Lopez underwent surgery in early December, and the team did not put a timeline on his recovery. In general, the team has been tight-lipped about his status, but there had been a few reports here and there that he was expected back before the playoffs, and now it appears that will happen.

While there are certainly no guarantees when it comes to big men and back surgeries, getting Lopez back in any capacity will be a huge boost for the Bucks. Though he doesn't typically put up huge numbers, he's vital to the way they play on both sides of the ball, and the team has missed his presence this season, particularly on the defensive end.

The Bucks are going to be a main contender in the East regardless, but a healthy Lopez will greatly increase their chances of defending their title.

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