Kobe Being Kobe

In my last blog following Game 3 of the Lakers-Jazz opening round series, I wrote: "Kobe Bryant is human after all."

It was a fair assessment at the time. After all, the dude could have built a school with the amount of bricks he threw up in Game 3's loss in Utah. But after Saturday night's Game 4 showcase, Bryant might as well be from another planet.

Following his dismal 5-24 effort in Game 3, the Black Mamba pounced on the Jazz in Game 4, scoring the Lakers' first 11 points and dropping 38 in total as the Lakers took a commanding 3-1 series lead headed back to Los Angeles for Monday's Game 5.

Bryant was simply a man on a mission. You could see it in his eyes before the game. He was not going to allow anyone to stand in is way -- and he didn't. Ronnie Brewer, who largely tamed Bryant in Game 3, was victim number one. By Game 4's end, Bryant more than welcomed Brewer's defense, as he finished a perfect 10-10 from the field with Brewer as his primary defender. There were also many occasions when Bryant drew double and triple teams, which freed up his teammates for open shots, unimpeded cuts and opportunities to capitalize on Utah's game plan to remain focused on Bryant.

The thing is: Bryant has faced adversity before -- it is nothing new to the 13-year vet. He is accustomed to having the world (or in the case of Game 4, his team) on his shoulders. He knows he needs to perform at a high level for the Lakers to play well, win games and continue on with their pursuit of the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Bryant hasn't always triumphed in times like these but, amidst his peaks and valleys, the Black Mamba has always been a cold-blooded cat.

I told you he wasn't human.