Following an eight-game absence due to knee tendinitis in both joints, Pau Gasol returned to the Los Angeles Lakers' lineup Tuesday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.

He added 10 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes, shooting 3-for-10 from the field in the Lakers' 101-100 victory over the Bobcats.

"My stamina was good," Gasol said. "I think I kept up with them pretty well and I pushed through those times when I got a little fatigued. I was pretty active, and my knees are feeling much better than they were. I just have to be more confident out there."

However, Gasol was also benched in the final 2:36 minutes of the game, and now after being benched late in fourth quarter stretches in two games, Gasol has now decided to voice his displeasure.

"Hopefully it won't happen too often," Gasol said. "When the game is on the line, I need to be on the court. That's what I get paid to do."

"I don't think he's going to have a new role," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant insisted. "We're going to post him. We're going to put him at the elbow. He can obviously make plays on the perimeter. But he will because he's skillful enough to do it."

Bryant scored four of his 30 points in the final 1:26, and the Lakers had to overcome an 18-point third-quarter deficit to beat Charlotte.

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