Pau Gasol‘s importance to the Los Angeles Lakers’ success has been highlighted by the last five games that he has missed.

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Without the 7-0 Spanish forward, the Lakers have dropped three of the last five games, including losses to the Clippers, the Portland Trailblazers, and the San Antonio Spurs.

The Lakers’ losses have come by 9 points or more, and an average margin of 13 in their setbacks.

Gasol has been diagnosed with a mild-to-moderate strain following an ultrasound of his hamstring. Gasol strained his left hamstring in the first quarter of the Lakers game against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.

“He worked pain-free today, so that’s nice to know,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

Though sitting out because of his hamstring, the current injury is much more mild than what caused the 29-year old to miss the season’s first eleven games.

“It happened differently and it’s definitely milder than the other strain,” Gasol said. “I tweaked it somehow. It didn’t go away and it got worse during the game.”

“I just hope it heals up a lot faster than the other one did and obviously I have the experience of dealing with the other one now, so that’s going to help too.”

Gasol is listed as doubtful and will likely miss tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, the team in which he was injured against six games ago.

Notes: Dirk Nowitzki is just 16 points short of the 20,000 point plateau – barring injury and a horrible game, Nowitzki should reach that milestone against the Lakers tonight.