ESP – Pau Gasol hamstring injury not serious

LOS ANGELES (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Pau Gasol and the Los Angeles Lakers are breathing a sigh of relief after the confirmation by doctors that the Spain star doesn’t have a serious hamstring injury.

Gasol limped off the court in the first quarter of the Lakers' home game against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday and did not return, and there were fears he could miss a lot of games.

After having his left leg examined, the Lakers released a statement that said: "Results of an ultrasound test and an MRI show that Gasol has a mild-to-moderate strain of the left hamstring."

Gasol is listed as doubtful for the game against Houston on Tuesday night.

In September, Gasol led Spain to the gold medal at the EuroBasket in Poland and he was voted MVP of the tournament.

The seven-footer then injured his hamstring in the pre-season and missed the first 11 games of the campaign.

When asked at the end of December if he would play at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, where Spain will go up against France, Lithuania, Lebanon, Canada and New Zealand in Group D, Gasol said: "For me it is always an honor to play for my country, but there are many factors that come into play and that is a decision taken at the end of the season."

FIBA