Good thing newspapers are dying. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to get all these folks into the “press” room.

I’m in the Chick Hearn press room, as it’s officially named, at Staples Center, and we basically are out of space here in the working area of the place.

Every single work space has someone sitting at it — and did, two hours before the game. Most of them are daily newspaper people, still, but quite a few are website guys and photographers.

Apparently, that’s where the extra people are coming from. Websites. Well, and foreign media outlets, now that the NBA has become such an international affair.

I see reporters from Spain, France, Poland, Mexico, China and Japan on the seating chart. (Two of the Chinese guys represent “China Hoops” and “Inside Stuff China.” And I bet it’s all Yao Ming all the time, in there.)

Thankfully, none of the foreigners are on deadline, so they just eat in the media room, take up space at interview opportunities and crowd the locker rooms … but they don’t work in the cubby room, so we can at least spread our elbows while typing.

Anyway, the playoffs are bigger than I remember them. More people, more media. Even if the traditional print presence is about half of what it was, 10 years ago.

Print is down, but electronic is up, and it makes for more people. Lots more.

Oh, and one “inside” thing for you. The media room here at Staples has one urinal in the men’s restroom. One. For about 200 males. I’m thinking it might be a violation of some state code. It ought to be.

I’m assuming that if the Lakers survive this round, the club will open an auxiliary press room for the conference finals. Just a big empty area that they run some power lines and phone lines into it, set up some long tables and chairs, and there you go.

That’s what they have done in the past. It’s what they should have done for this series.