A pair of longtime NBA big men returned to action in Europe this week after lengthy layoffs.
The most notable of the two, Pau Gasol, played for the first time in nearly two years on Friday, taking the court for Barcelona in EuroLeague play. He logged 13 minutes vs. Bayern Munich, recording nine points and four rebounds (AP story via ESPN).
Meanwhile, in Russia Khimki Moscow center Timofey Mozgov appeared on Monday in his first game in almost three years, per Sportando. Mozgov was last on an NBA roster during the 2018-19 season, but he didn’t appear in a single game with Orlando that year due to knee issues.
Those issues persisted after Mozgov signed with Khimki in 2019, and the NBA even permitted the Magic to remove Mozgov’s cap hit from their books last season since his injury was viewed as potentially career-ending. His return represents the culmination of a long, impressive comeback.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
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