Editor's Note: They Woke the Sleeping Giant

They teased him. They said he was soft. They said he lost his spark. They questioned his skills and his mettle. Little did the Jazz know that they were waking the sleeping giant. You don't make Kobe angry. You won't like him when he's angry. Utah learned that the hard way. After quite possibly his worst playoff performance, Kobe Bryant showed the world that he's a machine, and like all machines, he's got an "on" switch. Turn him on, and the Jazz go off. Utah invariably sealed their doom with Thursday's game. After all, the Lakers had the visiting-team disadvantage, which in Salt Lake City translates into certain death. On top of that, Kobe had wasn't even Kobe, missing 19 of his 24 shots. But the Purple and Gold stayed in the game, and only lost by two points. If their was ever a loss that could inspire confidence, it was Game 3. Then Mehmet Okur returned, and the Jazz thought their prayers were answered. As it turned out, Okur was just an unnecessary body taking up space on the court, playing 13 minutes with just 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and no points. Kobe and the Lakers proved their worth in Saturday's game. Not only that, they proved that they have the killer-instinct. They just need the proper motivation.