Chicago Bulls star Pau Gasol enjoyed a stellar night in the Eurobasket 2015 semi-finals against France as Spain booked their spot in the championship game.
The Spaniard helped his nation secure a 80-75 win over France in overtime on Thursday night, and with it he brings a new air of optimism in Chicago.
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His performance, which included 40 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, will have been crucial for the veteran as he will now look ahead to helping the Spanish defeat either Serbia or Lithuania in the final at the weekend.
From a Bulls perspective though, it will be a huge boost for coach Fred Hoiberg who replaced Tom Thibodeau this off-season. Gasol was a key component of the team last year, but his injury problems were a factor as they fell to a disappointing Eastern Conference semi-finals loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
However, if the 35-year-old can prove his stamina and fitness levels are still where they need to be and can be as influential as he has been for Spain over the past fortnight, it will another confidence boost for the likes of Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler who will welcome him back to the Windy City for training camp ahead of an important year for the organisation.
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