Bryant Lets Down His Guard

For nearly two weeks, Bryant had been locked in a perpetual scowl— his demeanor dark and his answers clipped. He did strange things with his chin.But the Los Angeles Lakers now hold a 3-1 lead in the finals , and the grimace has faded as quickly as the Orlando Magic . The Lakers can clinch the championship Sunday night at Amway Arena. The Lakers won three championships from 2000 to 2002, but that was a different time and a different team. Shaquille O’Neal dominated, in play and personality. Bryant gritted his teeth and played understudy. Veterans occupied every corner of the locker room. Coach Phil Jackson had a soul patch. It has been seven years since they celebrated anything. Jackson has since retired and unretired. The Lakers missed the playoffs once, were eliminated in the first round twice and so frustrated Bryant that he demanded a trade . The N.B.A. fined Lakers Coach Phil Jackson $25,000 for criticizing the officials during Game 4 on Thursday. The league also penalized the Lakers $25,000 for Jackson’s comments, which came during an interview with ABC between the first and second quarters of a 99-91 overtime victory.