Marc Gasol injury: Grizzlies center will start against Thunder

Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol will start Tuesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder after being sidelined nearly two months with a sprained MCL, the team announced Tuesday.

Gasol, the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, has appeared in 13 games this season and is averaging a career-high 16 points and 4.3 assists per game. His usage rate (22.1) is also the highest of his career.

The 7-foot Spaniard anchored the NBA’s second-best defense last season, and Memphis has struggled on that end of the floor in his absence this season. With Gasol, Memphis posted a 7-6 record to start the season. Without him, it is just 10-14 and currently out of a playoff spot.

This season, Memphis’ defensive rating is 107, its worst mark since the 2009-10 season. That number should drop once Gasol gets some games under him.

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