LOS ANGELES — Funny, how minor imperfections (and subtle specialties) became pronounced once the Boston Stranglers got their barely breathing opponents in a 3-2 chokehold.

Barring any unforeseen pluckiness, or newly discovered signs of intelligent life on the Lakers, June Gloom is here to stay.

Nothing I've witnessed in this series convinces me the Lakers are prepared to make such a momentous emotional and physical commitment. The second-half power and poise outage in Game 4 clearly broke their hearts, their will and their spirit.

The Lakers' body and lip language says it all: They're too far gone, too splintered, too freaked out, too fragile, too demoralized, too insecure, too scatter-brained, too helpless.

Additionally, Phil Jackson is far from the top of his game. I can't say Doc Rivers is out-coaching him because the Zen Hen has yet to commence coaching.

If those problems aren't enough to overcome, Kobe is too preoccupied with trying to win his fourth title by scoring, particularly when Paul Pierce is on his case. When that matchup materializes, as it did in the second half of Game 4, Kobe gets suckered into a personal challenge and the Celtics adapt accordingly.

Kobe either scored or got fouled by Pierce almost every time one-on-one, exempting a fadeaway springer with about four minutes left in the third quarter.

Problem was, more often than not, it was one-on-three as lengthy Celtics converged and too much time was wasted trying to dribble around or through them. The result: 16 treys after intermission, 13 of them dry heaves, many as the 24-second clock was about to expire.

Kobe's obsession with outdueling Pierce and disinterest in smothering Ray Allen — as he suffocated Leandro Barbosa and others during the Olympic Qualifying Tournament last summer in Las Vegas — has quietly allowed the 32-year-old guard to contest Pierce for MVP.

True, Kobe was reassigned to Rajon Rondo following his 16-assist effort in Game 2. But once he sprained his ankle in Game 3 and it became evident he could no longer create havoc in the paint (five points, two assists, 17 minutes) the Lakers needed Kobe to re-focus on Allen.

I seem to recall Michael Jordan finding the time and energy to zig zag around the court feverishly and fight through picks when tailgating Reggie Miller. I don't recall that effort detracting from his offense all that much, but I could be wrong.

Kobe, on the other hand, is at his All-Defensive First Team best guarding players on non-screening teams. Chasing perpetual motion machines like Rip Hamilton and Allen is not a chore he appears to embrace . . . unless he can gain glory from it.

Not that shutting down Allen automatically guarantees the Lakers will avoid liquidation. Locking him up only means there are more looks for Pierce and Kevin Garnett and James Posey and Eddie House.

Those were the long-range shooters Doc Rivers told to spread out on the floor for the final six minutes and light up any Laker who cheats off them to help elsewhere. All five made them pay one way or the other, Posey and Garnett notching six apiece.

The critical question is, can the above group (plus P.J. Brown, Leon Powe and Sam Cassell) make the Lakers pay over 48 minutes should Rondo's ankle and Kendrick Perkins' shoulder greatly limit their availability?

Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic failed to force a single steal in the fourth quarter against Allen and House, an easy mark in the previous Pistons' series when Lindsey Hunter picked up House's dribble more often than he did.

After re-scrolling Game 4, I noticed Jackson lecturing and admonishing Fisher, who sat out 12 straight minutes before returning at the two-minute mark and hitting a long two a minute later, at the outset of a late third-period timeout.

Judging by their expressions, both were not happy.

Did Fisher do something wrong?

He was the least of L.A.'s problems.

Farmer, Vujacic and Lamar Odom were lost in space and Phil was picking on Fisher?

Sa-Vu plays bogus defense, hands wagging in front of his coverage, a la Wali Jones, like a kid looking for a flag during a flag football game as the guy bolts by him for a T.D.)

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You would think someone might realize those inane between-quarters coaches' chats had run their course when Phil Jackson said his tie matched Craig Sager's suit . . . and Jim Cleamons' pants were the same color as Charles Barkley's markers.

Far be from me to suggest Willie Randolph is managing on borrowed time, but Hillary just called for him to quit.

This just in: Tim Donaghy claims that refs manipulated calls in favor of the Harlem Globetrotters. "I knew it!" said Red Klotz.

Peter Vecsey covers the NBA for the New York Post.