CLEVELAND The cautious route vs. the gutsy route: the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers were taking different paths toward the same desired destination, a spot in the Eastern Conference finals, in some key players handling of injuries.
The Bulls went into Game 5 at Quicken Loans Arena Tuesday night without All Star big man Pau Gasol for the second consecutive game due to a strained left hamstring. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, were counting on an increasingly gimpy Kyrie Irving, whose sprained right foot has led to a sore left knee since he began favoring the initial injury.
Gasol, 34, stretched and tested his left leg Tuesday morning before the Bulls shootaround and was only able to run at about 40 percent effort, he said. Still to come: running at full speed, changing directions, jumping and exploding off that leg.
Still some stuff I need to get done in the next 48 hours to be able to play an NBA game, Gasol said. I feel its improving. Were doing everything we can to get me on the floor as soon as possible.
By the tests that we did, clinically, its not a terrible strain. Otherwise it would put me out for a while. Right now were just staying positive. Everyones working hard so I can be out there the sooner the better. Because were in an urgency situation.
Gasol said he suffered hamstring strains one per leg twice previously in his 14-year career. One put him out for a month, the other sidelined him for two-and-a-half weeks. This one, which he first noticed in Game 2 and aggravated in Game 3, comes at an especially inconvenient time.
Very difficult, Gasol said of sitting on the side while the Bulls try to win the best-of-seven series against the Cavaliers. Not to play at this time when we need everyone on the floor that we can possibly have, this is hard. I feel I can make a difference on the floor and help the team have a better chance.
Irving, 23, feels the same way and is playing through his foot and knee discomfort. Clevelands All-Star point guard has left no wiggle room in recent days he was playing, not sitting so it would seem to fall to coach David Blatt, his staff and the Cavs medical staff to make sure a) Irving isnt doing further damage, and b) his limitations arent hurting the team on the floor.
I really feel we have been as conscious and as considerate of his physical state as possible, Blatt said before the game Tuesday. If [Kyrie] said to me, I cant go or I dont feel I can do this, we would be the last people to push him to do so. The results of his tests are such that, he has issues but theyre not issues that endanger him in terms of being injured going forward.
Some diminished contribution from Irving still is better, apparently, than what some different but totally healthy Cleveland player can give them.
His best in the worst of conditions is invaluable to us and we want to get that from him, Blatt said. Im not going to stop playing him just because perhaps hes not playing at 100 percent of his normal level. Because still what hes giving us is extremely important to us.
I wont play him if hes too badly hurt. Or if were in a situation where it endangers him going forward.
Source: http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2015/05/12/gasol-out-irving-in-as-bulls-cavs-cope/
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