Bynum can’t step up when pushed

It was a Sunday night in L.A., and yet there was traffic everywhere.

Andrew Bynum couldn’t shake Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett and a slew of help in the lane as the Boston Celtics showed why they have allowed a league-low 86.8 points a game.

Bynum had only eight points and two rebounds in 22 minutes in the Lakers’ 110-91 loss on Sunday. He took two shots, had two turnovers and eventually fouled out.

After a string of reputation-boosting games, this was not one of his finest. Coach Phil Jackson noticed, too.

“The physical nature of the game, guys bodying him off his position, those are things he’ll work with,” Jackson said. “He’s going to learn how to find space out there, and as he gets stronger and knows how to use his position, he’ll do better at that.”

Bynum rarely was able to set up shop down low and couldn’t get free for alley-oop dunks. Nor did the screen-and-roll with him have its desired effect for the Lakers.

In Bynum’s defense, he seemed to get lost in the shuffle early. Kobe Bryant made three of 15 shots and had no assists in the first half. Lamar Odom missed six layups in the first half, by Jackson’s count.

“They definitely played physical,” Bynum said. “But what they really [did] is they flooded the side with help and double-teamed, and then we missed a bunch of easy open looks.”

Derek Fisher always manages to come up with the proper perspective, continually finding a way to portray what unfolds in the Lakers’ camp, day after day, win or lose, chaos or no chaos.

He was no different after Sunday’s game.

“It was set up just right,” he said. “We’ve been playing well. They played great on their West Coast trip and I think it was set up just right for a great match-up.

“But so many times in boxing and in playoff games in the NFL, all the hype, and the product isn’t quite what all the hype put it up to be. Tonight was a bit of a dud in terms of the anticipation and the excitement about this game. We kind of came out and laid an egg and really didn’t live up to what we’ve established.”

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com