[Senator Clay Davis]

Yeah no way was Utah "in" on anything. They simply came into the night hoping for a meaningful game since they were still in the playoff hunt, and once they were eliminated you knew you weren't getting the top level effort/intensity for the whole game. I don't think Kobe does as well (or even close maybe) if Utah had everything to play for, but once they were eliminated a let down is to be expected. Kobe still did have to make the shots, and even though he took 50 he did shoot well above his season average and close to his career average with 44% shooting.