Rice Watches Practice but Is Expected to Play

Glen Rice did not participate in practice Thursday, still nursing a cold, but he is listed as probable for tonight’s game in Phoenix.

Laker Coach Kurt Rambis had hoped to use the last two hard practice days to more thoroughly work Rice’s preference to come off screens into the Laker offense, but Rice could only sneeze and watch the workout.

“The way my game is, running off screens and having a motion offense. . . . If we want to use me to the fullest advantage, then that’s the best thing to do,” Rice said.

Rice, acquired from Charlotte last month, said he is not having any trouble adapting to a team that also features Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

“I think coming from a team . . . where I was pretty much the bulk of the scoring, yeah, it’s an adjustment,” said Rice, averaging 17.9 points as a Laker.

“But it was an adjustment that I welcomed, to have a chance to relieve some of the pressure on myself not to be the one who has to go out and score 25 to 30 points every game.

“We’ve got a lot of options on this team, and I think we’ve got to use them all. We just can’t settle on just one or two.”

O’Neal said he knows working Rice into the offense means that there won’t be as many plays called for him.

“We have to keep our shooters involved,” O’Neal said. “I’m going to get mine. The other night [against Vancouver on Monday], I played a horrible game, but I still managed to squeeze 26 out.”

*

Robert Horry doesn’t quite buy the proposition that there is a set second unit featuring him, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Sean Rooks (impossible to do with Rambis’ differing substitution patterns, Horry says), but agreed that when those players are on the floor together, they have a nice rhythm.

“None of the guys who are on the second unit really came from a team where they were the stars,” Horry said. “They don’t count on us for big points, so we’ve got to pass the ball.”

The star players on the first unit, Horry said, are used to having the freedom to create on their own.

“They’re scorers,” Horry said with a grin, “we’re players.”

TONIGHT at Phoenix, 5 PST

Channel 9, TNT

* Site--America West Arena.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 21-11, Suns 15-16.

* Record vs. Suns--2-1.

* Update--This is the start of five games in six nights for the Lakers. Phoenix was 7-11 in March, jeopardizing a playoff spot. One of those victories came at the Great Western Forum on March 24, 106-101.