Pau Gasol had a historic night against the Cavaliers

Pau Gasol joins Karl Malone after helping Bulls beat Cavaliers

By Kyle Thele

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 23: Pau Gasol #16 of the Chicago Bulls drives around Tristan Thompson #13 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on January 23, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bulls defeated the Cavaliers 96-83. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

One of the biggest narratives so far this season for the Bulls has been the perceived power struggle between Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. However, Saturday night Pau Gasol reminded everyone just how good he is.

Gasol led the Bulls to a big win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the process, he joined a club with only one other member, Hall of Famer Karl Malone.

Saturday night, Gasol posted 25 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. An impressive feat by itself, Gasol’s stat line is even more stunning given his age and opponent. Gasol and Malone are the only two players to put up those numbers after turning 35 and against a team as good as the Cavaliers.

From Elias:

Pau Gasol paced the Bulls in points (25), rebounds (10) and assists (6) in their win at Cleveland. That kind of versatility is uncommon at any time, but try doing it after your 35th birthday in a road victory against a team playing over .700 ball. The only player ever to do all that was Karl Malone, at age 35 on March 12, 1999; in a 91-77 win at Portland, he led the Jazz with 21 points and 9 rebounds and tied for the lead with 5 assists. (The Trail Blazers came into that game with a record of 15-3 and a winning percentage of .833.)

This is the fifth time this season that Gasol has put up at least 25 points. Saturday’s performance comes in stark contrast to Gasol’s last game against the Cavaliers. When the two teams first met, Gasol was held to only two points and two rebounds.

Pau Gasol puts up 25 points, 10 rebounds & 6 assists in @ChicagoBulls 96-83 W in Cleveland!https://t.co/FljlW2aCbt — NBA (@NBA) January 24, 2016

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