Pau Gasol hopes to get clearance for running drills after trip

OKLAHOMA CITY — Assuming he doesn’t experience any setbacks, Pau Gasol plans to seek medical clearance to participate in running drills once the Lakers returns Thursday from a two-day trip that includes stops in Oklahoma City (tonight) and New Orleans (Wednesday).

When the Lakers (30-30) play the Oklahoma City Thunder (43-16) tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena, Gasol will have missed 12 games in the past month since tearing the plantar fascia of his right foot. Gasol traveled with the Lakers and spent time at the end of the team’s morning shootaround today with strength and conditioning coach Tim DiFrancesco performing various exercises that test his gluteal and neuro muscles.

“Things have been good,” Gasol said in a brief moment with this newspaper. “No pain, a little bit of stiffness.”

The Lakers cleared Gasol last week to get off crutches and run on an elliptical machine. The Lakers have stuck to their timetable that Gasol will be out for at least six to eight weeks.

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