Clever coaches can devise plenty of strategies for beating the Jazz. But making Karl Malone mad isn't a good one.
Between Drew Gooden taking a poke at the Mailman in the newspaper, and Andrew DeClercq whacking him across the head under the basket, the Magic handed Malone about a month's worth of motivation. Malone in turn handed Orlando a painful lesson, and a bitter loss.
Malone outdueled the league's leading scorer with his first 40-point game in more than two years on Wednesday, then led an inexorable 16-4 rally in the final six minutes, finally delivering a critical steal and a 111-108 victory in TD Waterhouse Centre over the stunned Magic.

