Gasol enjoys stellar night as Rose rests with sore left knee…
Chicago Bulls star Pau Gasol had a monster night on Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks as he ended the game with a career-high 46 points along with 18 rebounds.
“He wasn’t going to let us lose tonight,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.
Gasol was 17-of-30 from the field and 12 for 13 at the line in his 20th double-double of the season as he continues to cement his All-Star spot as well as roll back the clock with some stellar performances this season.
The Spaniard became the first player to record at least 46 points and 18 rebounds for Chicago since Michael Jordan had 69 points and 18 rebounds in an overtime win over Cleveland back in March 1990.
“You start making your first couple of shots, your teammates start looking for you, and I was able to find good spots and get in rhythm,” the 34-year-old Gasol said.
“I give a lot of credit to my teammates. They made a lot of plays for me and looked for me a lot of times.”
The Bulls were coming off a pair of bad losses against the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards, and so victory was paramount on Saturday night.
Point guard Derrick Rose sat out with soreness in his left knee and and he is expected to undergo an MRI scan to get a clearer assessment of the issue. However, Saturday night certainly belonged to Gasol.
Earlier in the day, the New York Knicks lost their 15th straight game as the Charlotte Hornets coasted at MSG with Kemba Walker putting up 28 points and seven rebounds.
It was another confidence-sapping game for the Knicks as they are now on their longest single-season skid ever while they look set to beat their previous worst overall record for a season.
However, they may well benefit from getting away next week as they head to London to take on the Bucks with Carmelo Anthony potentially making his comeback.
Staying in the East, the Toronto Raptors also picked up a win as Kyle Lowry filled the stat line with 19 points, five rebounds and seven assists in the victory over the Boston Celtics.
The Raptors ended their four-game losing streak with a strong showing on the defensive end and they improve to 25-11 as a result.
Over in the Western Conference, there were wins for the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers with Blake Griffin (22 points, seven rebounds and six assists) and Wesley Matthews (18 points, eight rebounds) starring.
Meanwhile, there was a win for the San Antonio Spurs who were led by Austin Daye with 22 points and 10 rebounds as they inflicted a 15th straight loss on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
NBA Results
Charlotte Hornets 110-82 New York Knicks
Dallas Mavericks 100-120 Los Angeles Clippers
Brooklyn Nets 93-98 Detroit Pistons
Indiana Pacers 92-93 Philadelphia 76ers
Boston Celtics 96-109 Toronto Raptors
Milwaukee Bucks 87-95 Chicago Bulls
Utah Jazz 82-97 Houston Rockets
San Antonio Spurs 108-93 Minnesota Timberwolves
Orlando Magic 92-103 Portland Trail Blazers
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