LOS ANGELES -- The San Antonio Spurs face the LA Clippers on Friday with their full complement of players for the first time in more than a month, as Pau Gasol is poised to return to the lineup.
"He's good to go," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Gasol missed 15 games after fracturing the metacarpal of the ring finger on his left hand Jan. 19. He accidentally collided with teammate Kyle Anderson during warmups before the team's victory over the Denver Nuggets.
On Thursday, Gasol practiced with the Spurs at the University of Southern California and hit the court again on Friday morning for San Antonio's shootaround at the Staples Center. Gasol spent most of his time away working to maintain cardiovascular conditioning, but the veteran said that running and stationary biking aren't at the same level of intensity as competing in a game.
"For the most part, [I did] as much as I could. I mean, it's nothing like playing a game with the adrenaline and every other factor that goes into it," Gasol said. "But I think we worked really, really hard to be in a good place. It's just a matter of getting into the flow and the rhythm, the feel for the game, the pace and stuff. I'm excited just to be out there again after a month and a week today from the surgery. I'm gonna help my team as much as I can."
In other injury news, guard Manu Ginobili will play Friday against the Clippers after being forced out of the team's Feb. 15 win over the Orlando Magic with a left ankle injury, according to Popovich.
San Antonio hasn't played with its entire roster since a 122-114 win on Jan. 17 over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Popovich wasn't sure whether the Spurs would endure an adjustment period against the Clippers with Gasol now back in the fold. Teammate LaMarcus Aldridge mentioned that he had just found a comfort level with Gasol before the veteran center suffered the injury, causing the power forward to have to learn how to play with replacements such as David Lee and Dewayne Dedmon.
"I have no idea," Popovich said. "Players come back, they start playing and we go from there."
Gasol said that just before the injury, he was finally growing accustomed to San Antonio's system in his first year with the team.
"I think there's still room for growth and improvement. But I think I tried to do as good as a job as I could to fit well and do what's needed and asked of me," Gasol said. "It's all about fitting together as well, and knowing what the team needs with the rest of the players on the court. You've just got to adjust your game a little more understanding who's on the floor. It's all about fitting with the rest of the guys, their strengths, and your strengths. Having a certain player [out] kind of varies that, changes that. So, you modify it."
Gasol hopes to rekindle the chemistry he and Aldridge developed before the injury setback. Twenty-six regular-season games remain as San Antonio gears up to make its 20th consecutive postseason appearance, which would tie the Utah Jazz for the third-longest streak in NBA history.
The Spurs owned an 11-4 record in games played without Gasol in the lineup. Before the injury, Gasol was averaging a career-low 11.7 points per game.
"We do adjust, and it's not that big of a deal," Gasol said. "But we want to accumulate games and minutes together on the floor so that when there are critical moments in important games down the road where we understand each other, we're effective, and we execute."