Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol reached a milestone during Saturday's 94-90 loss to the Detroit Pistons, as he became the 38th player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career rebounds, per NBA.com/Stats.
He finished the contest with 16 points, 14 boards, four blocks and three assists in 34 minutes, though he only made seven of his 19 field-goal attempts in a crucial game for the injury-marred Bulls.
With guard Derrick Rose sidelined by an elbow injury and forward Taj Gibson out with a rib injury, Chicago had no choice but to lean heavily on Gasol and guard Jimmy Butler, who responded with the first triple-double of his career: 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists over 39 minutes.
While their two stars got the job done, the Bulls had just one other player score in double figures, with reserve guard Aaron Brooks (14 points in 16 minutes) doing the honors.
According to ESPN's NBA Basketball Power Index, the Bulls are now projected with just a 10.8 percent chance to make the playoffs, whereas the Pistons (92.7 percent) and Indiana Pacers (91.5 percent) are in excellent shape.
Saturday's result was also a tough blow for the Washington Wizards, who are now listed with just a 5.0 percent chance to qualify.
In any case, the 35-year-old Gasol seemingly has enough left in the tank to record a few thousand more rebounds, as he's averaging 16.5 points, 11.0 boards, 4.1 assists and 2.0 blocks in 31.8 minutes per game this season.
He's expected to opt out of the final season of his team-friendly contract this summer, but he may just end up re-signing with the Bulls at a higher salary.
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