Gasol joins Chicago Bulls' injured list

It wasn't over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor, therefore it's not over yet for the Chicago Bulls, despite having slid out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture as injuries continue to mount.

Here's a new one: Pau Gasol didn't make the trip to Toronto and will miss at least two games with swelling in his right knee. Meanwhile, Jimmy Butler (knee) is on track to return against the Raptors on Monday, while Derrick Rose (groin) is listed as doubtful.

So coach Fred Hoiberg decided it was time for some special motivation and showed the team John Belushi's Bluto speech from the movie "Animal House," in which he famously botches World War II-era history.

Maybe when the Bulls return from this two-game trip to Toronto and Washington, Hoiberg will show them the clip from "Dumb and Dumber" when Jim Carrey says, "So you're saying there's a chance."

Even better, Hoiberg could recreate the scene using former Bulls teammate Brad Miller. In their playing days, Hoiberg's nickname for Miller was "Lloyd Christmas," inspired by Carrey's character.

"You just try to keep their morale up," Hoiberg said. "That's a big thing with our group, finding a way to fight through these tough times right now. We're dealing with a lot of injuries and adversity. You can't feel sorry for yourselves."

Well, maybe just a little. Butler has missed 14 of the last 15 games with a sore left knee, and the Bulls have been waiting for him to come back and salvage the season. Now it appears Butler's return will happen without Gasol or Rose.

There was no indication Gasol was headed for the injury list after Friday's loss to Miami.

"Pau got an MRI actually today," Hoiberg said Sunday. "It didn't show anything structural. The knee is intact. But he does have swelling and that needs to be addressed. So we're in the process of going over some different treatment options and we'll know more about that (Monday) morning."

Rose was injured at some point during Thursday's loss in San Antonio and sat out the Miami game.

"It's not a serious, severe injury," Hoiberg said of Rose. "Hopefully, again, we'll see how he's doing tomorrow and maybe get him back. If not tomorrow, then hopefully for Washington."

At least the Bulls should feel confident against Toronto. They've won the last eight games vs. the Raptors and the last time they went to the Air Canada Centre on Jan. 3, Butler scored a franchise-record 40 points in the second half as the Bulls won 115-113.

"He had a great day (Sunday)," Hoiberg said of Butler. "Had two good days the previous two as well. He has had no issues, no swelling, feels really good. So he'll hopefully be good to go."

Gasol has missed just three games all season, so the Bulls will have some adjustments to make. The veteran big man became the team's leader in assists while Butler was sidelined.

When the Bulls beat Toronto at the United Center on Feb. 19, Gasol struggled to guard burly Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas, but rookie Cristiano Felicio came in and had some success that night.

The Bulls' offense seems to click against the Raptors. In the last two meetings, the Bulls have scored at least 115 points, with Butler having a 42-point game and Doug McDermott tallying a career-high 30.

More than anything, Hoiberg wants to see the Bulls fight through tough stretches. In fact, he used an R-rated phrase to describe his real message to the team, which is not repeated below.

"If your spirit gets broken, you have no chance," Hoiberg said. "We've got to find a way to deal with it and fight through the tough times and go out and give ourselves a chance. That's all you can ask.

"We gave ourselves a chance the other night (against Miami), going into the fourth quarter it was a 1-point game. With about eight or nine minutes to go, we just handed them the ball, and it led to some runouts on the other end. And we were dead."

Maybe for his final clip, Hoiberg should turn to "This is Spinal Tap." If the Bulls can "turn it to 11," during the final 18 games of the regular season, they could be saying, "Hello, Cleveland," when the playoffs begin.

• Get the latest Bulls news via Twitter by following @McGrawDHBulls.