Pau Gasol Suffers Left Hamstring Injury In Lakers’ Rout Of Mavericks

On the court, life is good for the Lakers. After several uninspiring performances as of late, they routed the Dallas Mavericks 131-96 last night in a dominating display that reaffirmed their status as the team to beat in the West and maybe the entire league.

Off the court, however, the Lakers could potentially have big problems because Pau Gasol, their star big man, got hurt again. Gasol, who missed the Lakers' first 11 games with a right hamstring injury, strained his left hamstring very early in the first quarter last night and did not return. The Los Angeles Times' Mike Bresnahan reports that Gasol will undergo an untrasound exam today to determine the timetable for his return.

Pau Gasol left the game after suffering a strained left hamstring with 7:12 left in the first quarter. He sat out the Lakers' first 11 games because of a strained right hamstring and will undergo further medical testing today, including an ultrasound exam, at which time the Lakers will issue a timetable on his return.

Gasol went to the locker room after feeling a twinge in his hamstring and left without talking to reporters after the game.

"Any time Pau has an injury, we're very concerned," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "We thought that the initial one in the preseason was very slight because . . . there was no significant impression that he'd have a pull. So obviously it's something that we have to take seriously."

The Lakers are already playing without Ron Artest, who missed his fifth consecutive game with a concussion, and without him, the Lakers have looked sluggish, losing in a blowout to Phoenix last Monday and barely beating Golden State and Sacramento (playing without Tyreke Evans) at home. If Gasol is out for an extended period of time, it would be a major blow to the defending champs.