At Least They’re in the Same Book

Forward Glen Rice and Coach Phil Jackson spent some time together Friday morning going over the tape of the previous night’s loss in Denver and discussing better ways for the Lakers to get Rice to some open spaces.

“Are we on the same page? We better be,” said Rice, who scored only four points on one-of-eight shooting against Denver. “Put it this way--last night’s game, I’m putting behind me. We’ll be on the same page.”

Immediately after Thursday’s game, Jackson said that Rice was not moving well without the ball, and Rice said that he didn’t quite agree with that.

On Friday, before the game against Chicago, Rice said he isn’t struggling with the triangle offense as much as outsiders perceive.

“It’s not going to be such a big adjustment for me,” Rice said. “I don’t know why that’s being said. Yeah, there’s not screens I’m running off of, but still I’m capable of taking guys off the dribble, I’m capable of posting people up.

“It’s just, put the opportunities there for me, and the job will get done. . . . A lot of times balls were thrown when people were hanging all over me. Well, that’s not my fault. You’ve got somebody hanging on me, don’t throw the ball.

“As far as the moving, you know, I’m moving. I’m running the plays that he calls.”

In the triangle, Jackson said, Rice will have plenty of chances to come off of screens or work in isolation.

“We offer all of that in our offense,” Jackson said. “But none of it is specifically called for any one individual. I think that’s one of the focuses that he’s probably had that he doesn’t here, that we don’t have a play that’s called ‘the Glen Rice play.’ ”