The officials in these first two games seem to be so overly sensitive about the rivalry turning into the Bloods and the Crips on national television that they’re calling fouls not even severe enough to qualify as ticky tack — for both teams. Kevin Garnett and the rest of the Celtics’ big men were in foul trouble, too.

But with Bryant, it takes a mental toll on his team when he’s limited to 34 minutes. “It puts you in a situation where your best player is in foul trouble, and it puts you in a situation of danger,” said Pau Gasol, who led the Lakers with 25 points and eight boards. “It affects the team in different ways. He played through it and was still aggressive, but obviously he was limited.

“He would have played more minutes if he wasn’t in foul trouble. (Those were) tough calls out there, but you can’t control that. You’ve just got to play through the game and do your best.”

In the 1984 championship series between these teams, the Lakers took a 2-1 series lead after a Game 3 performance at the Forum in which they badly outrebounded the taller Celtics. Afterward, Larry Bird famously said of his club, “We played like a bunch of sissies.”

I don’t think I have to tell you what happened next, but I will anyway: The Celtics got more physical, played with more desire and passion, and went on to win in seven. Bird’s outburst after Game 3 — and Kevin McHale’s clothesline of Kurt Rambis in Game 4 — were the defining moments of that series.

But the Mamba isn’t making any such pronouncements. He has opted instead for the impassive expression, the empty eyes, the terse body language.

That’s all well and good, as long as the Lakers win Game 3. If they don’t, he seems like a rare sports paradox: someone with an insatiable desire to win who just doesn’t appear to understand the urgency of the moment.

Two of Kobe’s favorite movies (and I know this from the giant scoreboard at Staples) are “Braveheart” and “Scarface.” In the former, Mel Gibson’s character is known for the rallying cry, “Freedom!” In the latter, Al Pacino’s character defiantly takes on his enemies while wielding a giant gun and screaming, “Say hello to my little friend!”

It should be noted that both protagonists ultimately died an ugly death. But at least you know they cared.

I know Kobe cares, too. But for the Lakers’ sake, he’d better show it on Tuesday.

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Jim Rogash / Getty Images

Not in his house

Rajon Rondo had 18 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 85-75 in Game 7 on Saturday night to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

CSN: Rondo's big-game DNA shines  |  Highlights

CSN: You may not see it from start to finish, but when the game — or in this case, postseason life — is on the line, you see just how good Rajon Rondo can be.

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