Playoffs 2000:Rice could be key to Lakers' fortunes

Rice could be key to Lakers' fortunes
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- The spotlight is on, and Glen Rice feels it.

He knows just how important he is to the Los Angeles Lakers against the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference finals.

Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant are consistent offensive powerhouses for the Lakers. Rice's success is nowhere near as automatic.

Shaq will get his points. Kobe will get his. If Rice gets his, the Trail Blazers could be in trouble in the best-of-seven series, which begins today at the Staples Center.

"I'm going to try to go out there and put together a great game," Rice said Friday. "I'm not going to try and put it all on my shoulders, but I'm going to try and do my part."

Nearing the end of his first full season in Los Angeles, Rice still is trying to find his niche as the Lakers' third option. He is a free agent at season's end, and there is widespread speculation that he won't be back.

In 10 playoff games, Rice is averaging 13.9 points and shooting 39 percent from the field. In the four games against Portland in the regular season, he averaged 11.9 points and shot 33 percent. This from a player with a career 20.2 average.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said the matchup of Portland's Steve Smith guarding Rice is the key to the series.

"We have not really taken advantage of Steve Smith," Jackson said. "He's playing with a pretty bad leg, and defensively he has some liabilities, but we really haven't exploited those with Glen. That's a matchup where he's got to show that he can overwhelm him."

But Jackson doesn't want Rice trying to do too much, either.

"Glen has to step in and make the shots that he gets," Jackson said. "That's the big key, a good percentage and not force things."

O'Neal averaged 20.5 points against Portland, 9.2 below his season average. He knows Rice must provide significant help to the offense if the Lakers are to succeed.

"It's going to be our job to get Glen more involved," O'Neal said. "We have to make all their guys play defense, not just one or two guys doubling down on myself and Kobe. We have to make them play honest. I'm sure Glen is going to step up."

The Blazers are a much more calm, confident bunch than the team that was swept by San Antonio in last year's conference finals. Scottie Pippen is the main reason for that.

Portland still thrives on emotion, though. Rasheed Wallace, the team's leading scorer, had 40 technical fouls in the regular season. Pippen, who knows how intense the game gets at this time of year, said the Blazers can't allow themselves to be distracted by officiating in what is bound to be a highly charged atmosphere.

"Hopefully, we realize that we have to go out and play. We can't get involved with the officiating," Pippen said, "and we're really just concentrating or just playing and playing hard. Let the officials make the decisions."

Pippen's steady leadership, and strong play in the clutch, along with the addition of Smith and Detlef Schremp and the departure of Isaiah Rider, has done wonders for Portland's maturity. Damon Stoudamire, who picked the middle of last year's conference finals to complain about his lack of playing time late in games, is keeping quiet.

"I enjoyed last year and the success that we had," Blazers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "But I think there were more distractions to deal with."