Bulls’ Pau Gasol on Game 6: ‘I’ll be out there, I like our chances’
By Mark Carman
Veteran NBA Champion center Pau Gasol expects to play in Game 6 on Thursday night
Pau Gasol will attempt to play in Game 6 and give the Chicago Bulls a much needed boost against the Cleveland Cavaliers. How far he will be able to go is unknown, but Gasol plans to stay on the court as long as he can contribute something to the fight to stay alive.
“As much as I can, until I am not helpful on the floor. If I can’t be helpful and I am hurting my team then I will have to make a decision, but hopefully that won’t happen,” Gasol said.
Gasol has been a double-double machine setting a career-high with 54. He played and started in 78 games, averaging just under 35 minutes a night. Despite the hamstring injury happening at the worst time, Gasol is doing his best to stay positive.
“It’s frustrating, it’s not easy. It’s painful, it’s hard. But, things like this sometimes happen at the worst times, so you stay positive, you do what you can to get back on the floor,” Gasol said.
As much as the Bulls and Gasol would like to speed up his recovery, there is only so much they can do on an injury that normally takes 2-3 weeks to heal.
“I haven’t heard of any magical machines that help me,” Gasol said. “We have done some stretching, the regular stuff. Gotta take it one day at a time. I am pushing it as much as I can, till the point of pain, but no further so I don’t take a step backwards.”
Gasol believes his Bulls can still shock the basketball world and still come back to beat the Cavs despite trailing 3-2 in the series. The Bulls enigmatic play at times actually gives Gasol his confidence.
“It has been a very up and down year. We’ve had great stretches, we’ve had terrible stretches. We have been very inconsistent,” Gasol said. “When we have lost a couple games in a row, we have always reacted well, play our best. It seems like we need that sense of urgency, desperation, in order for us to have great focus and great intensity. Right now there is no bigger desperation and sense of urgency then we have found ourselves in today. I think that is why envision and expect our guys to bring it all.”
The wild series now has its first elimination game. Cleveland doesn’t want to play a Game 7, the Bulls don’t want their season to end. Gasol has been in elimination games before.
“Right now it is all about heart, effort, will, determination and wanting it more than they do,” Gasol said.
And health. The Bulls chances improve dramatically if Gasol is able to stay on the court and contribute even somewhat effectively.