LOS ANGELES — Since Tuesday is expected to be a new day in the NBA Finals — now that the basketball is so near to Disneyland, so far from Boston Common — we go hunting for happy people.

But, my, there are a lot of grim faces around the Staples Center.

For instance, the man in the blue sport coat surrounded by a platoon of cameras and microphones doesn't seem very chipper. Who is that? He's too short to be a player and too old to be a movie star.

Oh, David Stern. Commissioner of the NBA. They keep asking him about the breaking news about convicted former referee Tim Donaghy, whose lawyers have sent a letter to the court on his behalf detailing how other NBA officials allegedly manipulated playoff games, including a Sacramento win over the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002.

"This guy is dancing as fast as he can to throw as much against the wall so his sentence won't be as hard," Stern is saying of the legal ploy. "So he picks his spots, figures the NBA Finals, game in LA, he'll file it today and then all of you guys will come running breathlessly to see whether there's something new that the NBA should respond to."

So Stern's not worried about any, uh, public relations clouds from this?

"Why should I be worried? Every time a convicted felon says something, you're going to say to me am I worried?"

But he looks like a man who'd rather be talking about something more cheerful. Anyone got a steroid question?

Down the way, a tall man being interviewed doesn't seem very happy, either. That's Magic Johnson, talking about how his beloved Lakers should just shut up about the officiating in Game 2 and play.

"Everything that has happened to us," Johnson says, "is our fault."

The coach of the Lakers appears a tad dour in his pre-game press conference. First he gets asked about Donaghy's claim about 2002.

"Was that the fifth game after we had the game stolen away from us after a bad call out of bounds and gave the ball back to Sacramento and they made a three-point shot?" Phil Jackson asks.

Another subject. Someone mentions how he gets paid $10 million a year to get the Lakers ready for big nights like this.

"How would you even know that stuff?" he answers. "You're not the IRS."

Once the game starts, No. 24 for the Lakers looks intent enough to bite the head off a rooster. That'd be Kobe Bryant, who knows a crisis when he sees one. By halftime, he has 19 points and one technical foul.

The team in green doesn't look in any mood to buy the drinks, either. About that enormous free throw gap they savored in Game 2, welcome to Los Angeles. This night, the Lakers shoot 10 before the Celtics shoot one. By halftime, Boston has seven attempts. Bryant has 12.

Meanwhile, at the end of the first quarter, the popcorn vendor and I have the same number of field goals as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. We're 0-for-0, they're 0-of-9.

It ends much later with the Lakers getting by 87-81, led by 36 points from Bryant. They win despite missing 13 free throws. Not the prettiest game, to be sure, but survival can be gritty business.

It turns out not to be a good day for the NBA. Stern can be as indignant as he wants about Donaghy, who may indeed be launching a diversionary attack. But the new charges are so worrisome, they cannot be ignored.

It is not a very pleasant evening for the Celtics, either, who will feel they let one get away. Pierce has talked about this being a dream, coming back to the area where he grew up to play in the NBA Finals.

Then he shoots 2-for-13.

At least the home team can savor one fact. Every comeback needs a first step.

Before the game, when the subject was Jackson's healthy salary, he was asked what would happen if he could not get the Lakers turned around today.

"You can ask for a rebate," he said.

He can keep his money. Someone needs to leave the place smiling today.