Although Kobe Bryant played much better than he did in the loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, Pau Gasol stole the show with 21 points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Head coach Mike D’Antoni talked about Gasol’s improved play following the win over the Grizzlies via Time Warner SportsNet:
“I just think people go through periods of slumps and question things. I just think that Pau is an All-Star and he’s back to normal.”
Gasol has been hot and cold all season long. Despite recent struggles, Gasol came into his own against his former team. The biggest problem for Gasol has been consistency, but the veteran might be on the verge of turning things around while he receives the support from D’Antoni.
Without Marc Gasol (knee) in the paint and Mike Conley dealing with a thigh contusion that kept him sidelined, the Lakers were able to take advantage of a Grizzlies team that was dealing with injuries with two of their three best players.
Along with Gasol playing well on Tuesday, Bryant tied Gasol with a team-high 21 points. Bryant also grabbed five rebounds and dished out four assists in his fifth game playing point guard while Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar continue to recover from injury.
The Lakers will now head back home to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Staples Center on Friday.
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