TURKEY BOUND – Spain’s Pau Gasol enjoys winning return from injury

LOS ANGELES (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Recently-crowned EuroBasket MVP Pau Gasol of Spain returned from a hamstring injury and helped fire the Los Angeles Lakers to victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.

Gasol, who was also the MVP at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, played in his first game of the season and scored 24 points while corralling 13 rebounds as LA cruised to a 108-93 victory.

"It's so much fun to play with our guys in front of our crowd," said Gasol, who won his first NBA crown last season with the Lakers.

"I really wasn't expecting to be as effective as I was tonight, but my teammates found me a couple of times and made it easy."

Spain basketball fans will be hoping that Gasol makes it to the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

His Lakers teammate, Kobe Bryant, is expected to play for Team USA next year in Turkey and on Thursday, he had 21 points, eight assists and nine rebounds.

The man France are desperate to have in Turkey, center Joakim Noah, finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Bulls.

Chicago did not give Noah clearance to represent France this summer at the EuroBasket, where Les Bleus lost to Gasol's Spain in the Quarter-Finals.

Other international stars had big games on Thursday in the NBA, Europe and South America.

Serbia

• Nemanja Bjelica – One of the sensations in Serbia’s silver-medal winning side at the EuroBasket had 14 points and four rebounds in Red Star Belgrade’s 76-73 victory against rivals Partizan in the Adriatic League.
• Novica Velickovic – The Real Madrid ace had his best game since leaving Partizan for Spain’s ACB in the summer, pouring in 29 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in an 84-70 triumph over DKV Joventut.

Argentina

• Roman Gonzalez – The back-up center of Argentina scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds as Quimsa defeated Libertad Sunchales 87-77 to win the Liga Sudamericana.

Russia

• Andrei Kirilenko - The EuroBasket 2007 MVP came off the bench and had eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block to go with his 13 points in Utah's 90-83 victory at San Antonio. Kirilenko will play for Russia at the FIBA World Championship if they receive a wild card.
• Viktor Khryapa – The CSKA Moscow power forward finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds in an 85-63 VTB League triumph at Kalev.

Team USA

• Deron Williams - The United States point guard scored 21 points and dished out 10 assists in Utah's win.
• Carlos Boozer - The USA power forward/center had 18 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Jazz.

Greece

• Kosta Koufos - The young Greek big man played four minutes for the Jazz but did not score.
• Konstantinos Vasileiadis – The national team hopeful made four of nine shots from long range and finished with 14 points for Xacobeo Blu:sens in Spain’s ACB but their three-game winning streak came to a halt against CB Murcia, 86-66.

Croatia

• Zoran Planinic – The CSKA Moscow guard scored 16 points in their victory at Kalev.

Canada

• Andy Rautins – Syracuse sharpshooter made two of five shots from long range and scored eight points as the 24th ranked Orangemen upset No. 12 California, 95-73, in American college basketball.

France

• Ian Mahinmi - The French center didn't play for the Spurs in their loss to Utah.

Turkey

• Omer Asik – The Turkey center had 16 points and four rebounds but Fenerbahce Ulker slumped to a surprise 88-76 home defeat to Karsiyaka.

FIBA