The Chicago Bulls hold a 2-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers following Derrick Rose’s dramatic game-winning three pointer on Friday night, but the team also got some bad news: They could be without one of their key players when the series resumes Sunday afternoon.
That’s because power forward Pau Gasol, who was so key to the team’s offensive push in Game 1 of this series, is dealing with a strained hamstring that he suffered in Game 3 of the series Friday. After practice on Saturday, head coach Tom Thibodeau said that Gasol’s status is “day-to-day,” and that the forward will take part in warm-ups on Sunday to see if he can play against the Cavaliers.
If Gasol can’t play, then the Bulls will be forced to make some alterations to their lineup. During Friday’s game, the team gave extra playing time to Nikola Mirotic to compensate for Gasol’s absence, and the Cavaliers seemed to have difficulty defending the smaller lineup as Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah held down the center position.
Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. local time at the United Center, and a victory would move the Bulls to within one game of their first berth in the Eastern Conference Final since they lost in five games to the Miami Heat in 2011.
