Kobe Bryant just wasn't himself. Making only one of five 3-point attempts and only nine of his 20 total shots, Bryant's 23 points wasn't enough against the Dallas Mavericks in game two.
With the loss, the two-time defending champion Lakers are in a precarious position, down 0-2 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Andrew Bynum turned in a much better performance, scoring 18 points and being more dependable on both offense and defense. Pau Gasol and Ron Artest increased their total outputs as well.
The real concern for Lakers fans is the mortality of Kobe. All of the injuries are finally making their mark on the superstar guard, who up until this point has defied all the odds every chance he had.
Kobe's play is slightly reminiscent of Brett Favre during his first season in Minnesota. The numbers were still good, but the results began to taper off. Kobe's not quite to the point of retirement, but Los Angeles fans must be quite concerned about their team at this point.