The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to get back to their winning ways. Actually, they’re just looking to find the way in general with their new and supposedly improved squad. L.A. has won three straight and should receive a major boost with Pau Gasol having returned from injury on Tuesday night during a 101-100 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.
Gasol played 29 minutes after missing eight games, and the big man did not think it was enough. He had to watch the final 2:36 from the bench as his teammates snuck out a win.
“Hopefully it won’t happen too often,” Gasol said. “When the game is on the line, I need to be on the court. That’s what I get paid to do.”
Gasol scored 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds during his limited minutes, but he was 3-for-10 from the field. He missed some open jumpers and showed some expected signs of rust, and head coach Mike D’Antoni said he could tell the 7-footer was getting fatigued down the stretch.
“I’m happy for Pau, it’s his first time back, the first five-eight minutes of each half he was really good, then he kind of went downhill when he got tired,” D’Antoni explained.
The important thing is the Lakers picked up a win, so in the long run D’Antoni did his job. Resting a player who just returned from injury toward the end of the game is something a number of coaches would have done. It’s understandable that Gasol wanted to be in the game because of his competitive nature, but it’s a long season. Once Gasol returns to full strength, then people can start worrying about his minutes and the way he is being used.
