Rice Always Ready to Take a Shot

By TIM KAWAKAMI

Jan. 31, 2000 12 AM PT

HOUSTON — Asked about the woeful combined shooting effort the Lakers got from himself, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher (seven for 35) in Sunday’s loss to the Rockets, Glen Rice made his point clear.

“Don’t include me in that [stuff],” Rice said.

OK, removing him from that list, could he address his one-for-seven performance? “I got that many?” said Rice, who took only one shot in the second half.

“The shots weren’t going in for the whole team. That’s in the first half. Then, in the second half, I can only speak for myself.

“As a shooter, you’ve got to get an opportunity to get it going. For myself, the opportunity wasn’t there for me in the second half.”

So he didn’t get to touch the ball much?

“That’s putting it plain and simple,” Rice said.

Rice played 16 minutes in the first half, and 18 minutes in the second. He was out for 6:04 from the end of the third quarter into the fourth.

“It’s always tough for me to sit,” Rice said. “I’m not an assistant coach. . . . Any time you sit over that long, it’s going to take you a minute or two to get warm. But that happens. I try my best to go out there and be ready when called upon.”

Bryant said that the best part about being voted onto the Western Conference All-Star starting team this season is that he’ll be matched against his good friend Eddie Jones, voted in as an Eastern starter.

“Aw, we’re just going to have fun--a lot of laughing, a lot of joking around,” Bryant said. “Hell, he knows everything I’ve got. So there won’t be any point in holding back.”

Triple Plays / The Big 3

Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Glen Rice have been the driving force behind the Lakers’ success. How they fared:

O’NEAL

*--*

Sun. Season 27 Points 27.7 19 Rebounds 14.5 0 Assists 3.5

*--*

BRYANT

*--*

Sun. Season 17 Points 22.7 4 Rebounds 6.2 5 Assists 3.8

*--*

RICE

*--*