Chicago Bulls: Pau Gasol’s Injury Could Prove To Be Costly vs Cavs

Even though the Chicago Bulls do carry a 2-1 series lead over Cleveland, they can’t afford to overcome the loss of Pau Gasol

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Despite how alive and electric the United Center felt on Friday night, after Derrick Rose banked home a game-winning three-pointer — lucky or not — at the buzzer, the Chicago Bulls can’t afford to lose Pau Gasol for any amount of time.

Buried in the Game 3 madness was a hamstring injury to Gasol, which forced him to exit the game in the 4th quarter. He wasn’t able to return. Early word is that he’s questionable for Sunday’s Game 4.

A very important Game 4 at that, as the Chicago Bulls try to throw a haymaker at LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who themselves are battling their own issues. Most recently, an banged up Kyrie Irving.

"[via NBA.com]“I have to do some tests, see how bad or good it is and then proceed from there,” Gasol said. “I’m just hoping that it’s not a bad tear or anything like that. Hamstrings are tricky and dangerous. Just hoping for the best and trying to stay positive.“Hopefully I’ll get up [Saturday] with not much soreness and I’ll go to the hospital and do whatever it is I have to do to find out what I have.”“Early in the first quarter, it started to tighten up,” Gasol said. “It really bothered me. I thought it was going to loosen up and I was going to be able to push through it. The more I pushed through it, the worse it got.”"

Even though Nikola Mirotic and Taj Gibson did perform well off the bench for the Chicago Bulls in Game 3, as they finished with a combined 17 points and 21 rebounds, Gasol’s importance to the team goes beyond statistical measurements.

The reason why the Bulls have given the Cavs trouble in the past — and in this series — is because of their depth, especially along the frontline. Prior to this series kicking off, that’s exactly what Chicago had in its favor. If they were to lose Gasol, that would almost be eliminated.

In addition, Gasol gives the Chicago Bulls a low post offensive presence — and a great pick and pop (or roll) type of player, that I’m not sure Gibson or Mirotic could fill. Certainly not Joakim Noah. While Gasol hasn’t been the same player offensively as he was in Game 1 — mostly because the Cavaliers made an adjustment by starting Tristan Thompson — he still give the Bulls an option to dump the ball off in the low post and tell to go get a basket.

Gasol is only averaging around 13 points and six rebounds per game in this series, but his 21-point, 10 rebound game in Game 1 is a huge reason why the Chicago Bulls currently have a 2-1 series lead.

Losing Gasol for a game or two, even, might be just the small window the Cavs need to take command of this series again.

In turn, a blowing knockout to the Chicago Bulls.

Next: An aggressive LeBron is a good LeBron -- and exactly what the Cavs need