It was a different Kobe Bryant on Wednesday night against Portland, somewhere between what he didn't do Sunday in Sacramento and what he did do Tuesday against Golden State.

His play was measured, less frantic, just as Coach Phil Jackson had expected.

"Kobe was on a mission [Tuesday]," Jackson said. "Sometimes his needs to overwhelm the rest of the ballclub, the necessity of the rest of the ballclub, because of that. As we get into the playoffs, that'll dissipate. He knows that he's got to put his ego aside and conform to what we have to do if we're going to go anywhere in the playoffs."