Bulls Game No. 34: Pau Gasol’s 29 points helps lift Bulls in OT vs. Boston

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18. 109. 24. Final. 104

Without their MIP candidate and best player on the floor and their former MVP continuing to go through the worst slump of his young career, who would the Chicago Bulls turn to in a grinder-type game on Saturday night against the Boston Celtics? Ol’ reliable.

Pau Gasol wasn’t the dominant headline of this past NBA offseason, but he may have become the most important headline of the past summer.

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Gasol signed a three-year, $22 million deal with the Bulls in July and filled a hole in the frontcourt for Chicago, after Carlos Boozer was amnestied and signed with Gasol’s former team: the Los Angeles Lakers.

Saturday night brought to the light why signing the two-time NBA Champion from Spain was such a big deal.

The 34-year-old Spaniard scored a game-high 29 points on 9-of-16 shooting in a 109-104 overtime victory for the Bulls, along with pulling down 16 rebounds and blocking five shots.

"“I definitely feel rejuvenated.”-Pau Gasol on his season so far, CSNChicago.com"

How great has Gasol been for the Bulls through the first 34 games?

In 31 games, Gasol is playing 35.1 minutes per contest — his highest since the shortened 2011-2012 season — while scoring 18 points per game — his highest since the 2010-2011 season when he was with the Lakers.

Gasol was asked during post-game interviews on Saturday night about why he chose to come to Chicago and he mentioned the potential the Bulls possessed.

"“All the guys here are hungry to win a championship. Obviously the newer guys don’t have that mindset … but I think the main guys, the veteran guys who have been here for a while, they’re all ready. We talk sometimes about it. It’s not something we bring up every single day. (But) it’s something that’s on our mind.”-Pau Gasol on the Bulls, CSNChicago.com"

Some of those “veteran guys” — Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson — gave Gasol some needed reinforcement in the frontcourt on Saturday night.

The Noah/Gibson duo combined for 20 points, 18 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks against Boston.

Meanwhile, the biggest “main guy” on the roster, Derrick Rose, shot just 5-for-18 for 12 points on Saturday, continuing his slump of poor shooting.

Thoughts + what’s next for the Bulls

Once again, the Bulls played down to the level of their competition on Saturday night, but not having two usual suspects in the starting lineup did hurt the Bulls.

Not having Jimmy Butler on the floor showed how important the fourth-year wing has become to the Bulls’ push towards a championship.

Although Mike Dunleavy — who appears to be “out for a little bit” per Tom Thibodeau — hasn’t shot the ball well outside of a few hot streaks, not having a veteran shooter and a solid defender in the rotation doesn’t help.

And on top of everything, the youngest MVP in NBA history couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat right now.

Minus the fourth quarter against Denver this past Thursday, Derrick Rose has been in an awful shooting slump, going 19-for-78 in his last four games.

(For those that are curious, that’s a whopping 24.3 percent.)

Thank goodness for Aaron Brooks, right?

But, through a tough and physical game on Saturday, the Bulls showed their toughness, despite being shorthanded.

The Bulls (24-10) move on to a inter-conference showdown against the Houston Rockets (23-10) on Monday night in Chicago. The game will be the fourth straight game for the Bulls at home, where they are 10-6 on the season.

Tip-off from the United Center is scheduled for 7:00 PM CT on Monday.

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Next: Bulls Game No. 33: Jimmy Butler's 26 points help the Bulls bounce back vs. Denver