Things will get serious if the Nuggets get even

Kobe Bryant sat down and started talking to reporters, reluctantly.

“Both teams play hard,” he deadpanned. “Can I go now?”

The Lakers are ready for Game 2, ready to stop analyzing, ready to end the dissecting that comes with the long layoffs between first-round games in the NBA playoffs.

They have played once in the last seven days, which worked out pretty well for them, and they now get to play Game 2 against the Denver Nuggets tonight at Staples Center.

The odds were already against Denver -- eighth-seeded teams have won only three first-round series in 48 tries since the 16-team format began in 1984 -- and the Nuggets’ chances remain similarly overwhelming if the Lakers win tonight. Teams with a 2-0 lead win an NBA series 93.6% of the time.

Maybe that’s why Bryant, despite his guise of a gruff demeanor, began throwing out humorous one-liners as he spoke to media members after Tuesday’s practice.

On Pau Gasol: “He’s extremely excited. I think he was just sick of hearing Elvis all the time [in Memphis], more so than anything. How many times can you go to Graceland, you know?”

On Bryant’s assertion a day earlier that he loved the 405 Freeway: “Except when it’s bumper to bumper. Then I hate it. On a Sunday, ’63 Impala, baby, top down, shades on, I’m cruising. It’s just me in the slow lane . . . nice and smooth.”

And on his teammates: “We’re all stand-up comedians. I don’t know if anybody knows that about us.”

The Lakers can polish their routines for a day or two if they get past the Nuggets, who weren’t in a very fun mood in Game 1, accruing four technical fouls, a flagrant foul and an ejection.

The Nuggets have lost four consecutive times in the first round, perhaps the reason they’re already making lineup changes. Burly three-point ace Linas Kleiza will start in place of Anthony Carter, giving the Nuggets another shooter, but one less ball-handler.

Kleiza had 23 points in Game 1 and will force the Lakers to reconfigure their defense. Bryant probably will move off Allen Iverson and guard Kleiza. Derek Fisher would then get Iverson.

Fisher, who has played past the regular season in 10 of his 12 NBA years, knows the significance of tonight.

“Game 2s are always very important games in playoff series,” he said. “A lot of focus goes to Game 1 . . . but a lot of series in the past have swung on that Game 2. A team can steal home-court advantage or the home team can take real control of the series by going up, 2-0.”

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A day after Jackson said Andrew Bynum’s return for the playoffs was “a remote thing” and that the Lakers weren’t “seriously thinking about it,” the injury news was slightly less dismal for the Lakers.

DJ Mbenga (bruised ribs) went through a limited practice Tuesday and Ronny Turiaf (sore throat) also practiced, though he didn’t show his typical energy, Jackson said. Both players are day-to-day.

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The Lakers might see more zone defense from the Nuggets, which seemed to be fine with Bryant.

“The triangle was actually built to counter a zone, initially,” he said of the offense. “We feel very comfortable in our system.”

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Bryant finished fifth in the voting for NBA defensive player of the year. Boston forward Kevin Garnett won the award and Denver center Marcus Camby finished a distant second, followed by Houston forward Shane Battier and San Antonio forward Bruce Bowen.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com