Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul become masked men

On the court, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul remain mad men.

They talk trash. Their competitive motors run. Their chippiness persists.

Now the two have become masked men.

Bryant has worn a plastic mask for the last seven games, including the Lakers’ 97-94 win Sunday over the Boston Celtics, after Miami guard Dwyane Wade delivered a hard foul that broke Bryant’s nose, giving him a concussion and causing neck pain. Paul wore a plastic mask for the first time in the Clippers’ 97-93 loss to the Golden State Warriors two days after suffering a nasal fracture against San Antonio. Below is the tale of the tape:

1. Look. The masks look similar. They’re clear plastic with the frames extending past the hairline to the top of the lips with holes for the eyes. Barring Bryant putting a Nike swoosh or painting a Black Mamba icon on his, the masks look the same. Edge: Draw

2. Comfort level. Bryant’s sweat built up so much in his mask that he compared the experience to sticking his face in a sauna. That’s why against Detroit he changed to a black mask that felt lighter. But the mask kept slipping off, so he changed to a plastic one that remains lighter. Even though there’s cushion on the cheekbone and forehead areas to maximize comfort, Bryant hasn’t found the right fix yet. It also doesn’t help that Boston guard Ray Allen fouled him so hard that the mask fell off and that the officials missed so many calls that Bryant ripped the mask off in frustration. Meanwhile, Paul told reporters that his mask doesn’t “inhibit anything.” Edge: Paul

3. Performance. Bryant has a larger sample size, averaging 30.57 points per game on 43.3% shooting through seven games. Meanwhile, Paul dropped 23 points on 10-of-18 shooting against Golden State. Bryant’s trigger-happy tendencies played a large part in the Lakers’ two road losses last week to Detroit and Washington. Bus a three-game stretch in which he scored at least 30 points a game and his willingness to involve Andrew Bynum against Boston shows it will be hard to match Bryant’s 4-0 mark at Staples Center as the Masked Mamba. Edge: Bryant

4. Toughness. Only three days after suffering a concussion, broken nose and neck spasms, Bryant somehow managed to appear on the court. Meanwhile, Paul’s injury only involved a nasal fracture after Spurs swingman Danny Green hit him in the face. It’s impossible to top the Black Mamba in this category. Edge: Bryant

5. Team reaction. Bryant may already have a nickname in the Masked Mamba. But it came from the media and not from his teammates. They remained so timid around Bryant that they’ve refused to even engage in that discussion, possibly out of fear of angering him. Meanwhile, Clippers forward Kenyon Martin told The Times’ Melissa Rohlin that he plans to give Paul a hard time about the mask. Having a sense of humor about everything is always the best way to go. Edge: Paul.

Conclusion:The battle will continue. But like everything involving the cross-town rivals, the Lakers and Bryant still appear superior.

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E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com. Follow Mark Medina’s Lakers blog on Twitter and on Facebook.