Down Goes Pau

by Marcel Mutoni

Ugh.

Can one of the most successful franchises in pro sports history be cursed? I kid, of course, but this is ridiculous: Just as the team enters this season’s most critical stretch of games, Pau Gasol goes down with an ankle injury. Great, just freaking great.

Lakers center Pau Gasol sprained his left ankle with 9 minutes 27 seconds left in the first quarter tonight against the New Orleans Hornets and will not return to the game.

Gasol was away from the ball when he was injured, but he appeared to get tangled with Hornets center Tyson Chandler while moving down the lane. X-rays were negative.

That X-rays were negative is a good thing, but it doesn’t guarantee anything. The fact remains that they’re locked in a dogfight with the Hornets tonight, and the road only gets tougher.

When is Bynum returning again?