Bulls' Gasol says he plans to play in Game 6
Pau Gasol didn't give any wishy-washy answers on Wednesday or suggest he'll warm up and see how he feels.
Gasol is planning to play Thursday when the Bulls host Cleveland at the United Center for a must-win Game 6. He missed the previous two games with a left hamstring strain.
“I mean, right now it's win or go home,” Gasol said. “There's nothing left but tomorrow's game. What percentage I'll be able to play? I don't know, but whatever percentage I will be, that's what I'll give.”
The Bulls didn't do any strenuous practicing on Wednesday at the Advocate Center. They watched film, walked through some things, then shot around. Gasol was one of the last players to leave the floor, which helped illustrate his improvement.
“I was able to do some good running,” he said. “I was able to do some shooting for the first time and move OK. So made some good progress today. No residual pain from yesterday.”
After a 106-101 loss on Tuesday, the Bulls trail the second-round series 3-2, so they need a win Thursday to force a Game 7 on Sunday night in Cleveland. A loss in Game 6 will end the Bulls season.
One reason for optimism is the Bulls had two narrow losses while Gasol sat out, so even if he's not at 100 percent perfect health, maybe he'll be able to make the difference. Gasol averaged 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in the regular season.
“Our backs are against the wall, but I think we're very much alive and I like our chances, to be honest with you.,” Gasol said. “I love our team. I love our resiliency all season long. All season we handled adversity, and tomorrow is going to be a tough game.
“They're in a closeout position, which they will try and take advantage of, but it's up to us to stand up to the challenge and give everything we've got and fight for our lives.”
In all five games of this series, the team with the rebounding advantage also won on the scoreboard. Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was asked if Gasol, playing at roughly half-speed, will be good enough to make a difference.
“At this time of the year, whatever a guy can give you, you'd like him to give it to you,” Thibodeau said. “Obviously, he's a very talented player. He's a great rebounder. So that would be a big plus. Offensively, obviously he's a hub. You can throw the ball to him. You can pick and roll with him. So he would add a lot.”
One thing about Gasol's game is at 7-feet with a long wingspan, he doesn't have to be a big leaper to grab some rebounds or block shots. On Wednesday Gasol said he hasn't tried to jump yet and joked that the Bulls might need to have a couple exercise bikes on hand, since teammates Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson often ride the bike to stay loose while they're not in the game.
“The tough part with this type of injury is when you sit down and you let it cool down, then it kind of tightens up,” Gasol said. “So we're going to keep heat on it, try to keep stretching it on the bench.
“We talked with the training staff, probably it wouldn't be wise to play the usual amount of minutes; to play the first 12 minutes like I usually do in the first quarter and the third. But we'll go how it feels and how it reacts, and we'll go from there.”
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