Getting their roughage

The Denver Nuggets have been physical, undoubtedly, but did they cross the line in Game 4?

Variations of that question were tossed around Tuesday at Lakers practice, with players and coaches answering in distinctly different ways.

The synopsis: Kobe Bryant welcomed the Nuggets’ increase in aggression, Pau Gasol criticized it and Coach Phil Jackson avoided the concept altogether.

The league also weighed in on a Western Conference finals that spilled beyond the normal parameters of offense and defense, making three rulings related to Game 4, none of which will directly affect Game 5 tonight at Staples Center, where one team will take a 3-2 series lead.

The NBA fined Jackson and the Lakers $25,000 each for Jackson’s critical comments of the referees in the wake of the Nuggets’ 120-101 victory.

Also, Dahntay Jones was assessed a flagrant foul 1 but not suspended for purposely tripping Bryant in the third quarter of Monday’s game, and Andrew Bynum’s fourth-quarter flagrant foul was reduced to a personal foul.

Once all the infractions were reviewed and reallocated, the Nuggets officially finished with three technical fouls and a flagrant foul, while the Lakers had one technical foul and a stiff financial penalty.

“We’re not shocked, but we’re disappointed,” Lakers spokesman John Black said.

If only the Lakers’ front court was as active as the NBA office.

The Lakers were pummeled on the boards in Game 4, 58-40, and outscored in the paint, 52-34.

It has become so bad that the mild-mannered Gasol demanded more touches after scoring 21 points on eight-for-11 shooting.

“I just want to go with what’s effective, what works out there and what’s been working for us and what’s been a strength of ours,” said Gasol, averaging 17.8 points on 62.5% shooting this series. “I think we should explore that a little more.”

The Lakers weren’t so sure they wanted the Nuggets to continue exploring their rough-hewn ways.

“They get away with a few things and obviously at home they get away with more stuff,” Gasol said. “I think the league is pretty aware of it at this point in time and they should be able to cut it off, so hopefully they will.”

Bryant, for one, seemed to embrace the Nuggets’ rough tactics, even though he skidded several feet after Jones stuck out his foot while Bryant moved in to pursue a possible rebound of Lamar Odom’s three-point shot.

The play was called “unsportsmanlike basketball” by Jackson, though Bryant, a noted proponent of flying-elbow basketball from the ‘80s, shrugged it off.

“It’s just good playoff basketball,” Bryant said. “It’s cool with me.”

Jackson, however, was noncommittal when asked if Denver had transitioned from physical to dirty. He had probably already heard that a fine was in the works for saying there was “not equal refereeing” in Game 4.

“I want to keep the topic on a positive note today,” Jackson said Tuesday. “I don’t want to talk about that aspect of it. I want to talk about basketball.”

The Nuggets were willing to talk about Jackson’s post-Game 4 declaration, which included placing a verbal microscope over Jones’ tripping of Bryant and an elbow that Nene threw at Luke Walton.

“He’s good,” Denver Coach George Karl said of Jackson. “He’s really good. I mean, his philosophical stuff is good stuff. He knows how to trick you into thinking with him. I’m not that good now. I had my opportunity in Game 3 to go to the same place and I just said I’m not going to go there.”

Not to be forgotten was the actual game tonight.

The Lakers have played 11 games in the last 22 days, though they are reluctant to blame fatigue.

Odom (bruised back) and Trevor Ariza (hip pointer, strained groin) will suit up and try to improve upon a Game 4 effort in which they combined for eight points.

The Lakers will also try to establish more of an inside game, hoping Andrew Bynum’s 14-point performance was the beginning of a stronger inside presence.

For now, though, the words are done being exchanged.

“We’ll take care of it on the court,” Odom said. “There’s no reason for us to talk about it or retaliate with words.”

Where’s ‘the Machine’?

Reserve guard Sasha Vujacic has been a non-factor in the playoffs, averaging 3.7 points and shooting an unsightly 27.2%.

It’s now a confidence issue, Jackson said.

“For a year or two, we thought Sasha was an 11 o’clock player -- he played in practice but he couldn’t fulfill it in games, and that’s because he’s a very high-energy guy and he gets animated or he has nervous energy in a game,” Jackson said. “He’s almost too quick shooting the ball, so we tried to slow him down a little bit and in the process, he’s at the point now where he’s starting to think about it and that’s what you don’t want a shooter to do.”

Vujacic had six points in Game 4, making two of four three-point attempts.

Etc.

Bryant wasn’t bothered by the antics of Denver guard J.R. Smith, who enthusiastically celebrated several made shots. “He knocks a shot down, he’s got the right to do that,” Bryant said. “We have enough motivation. If we need that kind of motivation to get us going, then we’ve got issues. Kudos to him.” . . . Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis has received permission to talk to the Sacramento Kings and will interview with them after the West finals. Rambis is no longer in the running for the head coaching vacancy of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Times staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.

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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com