Pressure Gauge

BOSTON -- The burden of a franchise sits on Kobe Bryant's shoulders, the pressure escalating since the shots began missing toward the end of Game 1.

Not that Bryant's sleep has been affected by it.

"I'd much rather have the pressure of this moment as opposed to having the pressure of deciding which swim trunks I'm going to wear in Bora Bora -- the Gucci ones or the Yves Saint Laurent ones," he said, smiling.

The Lakers aren't on vacation yet and are relatively unmoved by their one-game deficit against Boston in the NBA Finals.

Bryant was loose and humorous Saturday while talking about his nine-for-26 shooting effort, falling in step with a team that appeared unencumbered heading into Game 2 tonight at TD Banknorth Garden.

Maybe they're eager because the Celtics can't guarantee the availability of Kendrick Perkins (sprained left ankle) or the effectiveness of Paul Pierce, who will try to play despite a strained right knee.

Maybe the Lakers realize Bryant responded to a similar nine-for-26 effort in the first round against Denver with a 49-point, 10-assist performance the next game.

Maybe they know that Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom couldn't be much more ineffective than they were in Game 1, which still came down to the final minutes.

Something's up, and it's not just Bryant's budding career as a comedian. Typically stoic, he instead tossed out one-liners after Saturday's practice.

He also dipped into a punch line when asked about the lack of hatred between the teams now compared to the 1980s.

"I've heard stories in the past of them coming here and not getting room service and stuff like that," he said. "I mean, my room service is cool. I got the nice apple pie with ice cream on top, a la mode. I didn't even ask for ice cream, but they hooked me up."

The maraschino cherry on top for the Lakers would be a victory tonight. If it doesn't happen, fun mode might turn to frantic.

The Lakers were drubbed on the boards in Game 1, 46-33. They were too relaxed after Pierce went down with his knee injury in the third quarter and too tight when he returned more quickly than expected.

They scored 88 points, the second-fewest of their 16 playoff games. Their reserves totaled 15 points and 11 fouls.

Gasol and Odom have been peppered with questions about the apparent differences in physicality between the teams. Gasol had no rebounds in the first half of Game 1, finishing with eight. Odom sat out key stretches of the fourth quarter.