Rice, Jackson Say It’s OK

Coach Phil Jackson and Glen Rice--with an assist from Shaquille O’Neal--downplayed on Thursday the notion that a rift between Jackson and Rice could lead to a trade.

“As far as trying to trade me or anything like that . . . as long as I’m here, it’s my job to come out and give it my all,” Rice said after practice.

Is he happy with his role on the Lakers?

“Put it this way, I’m not comfortable with the way that I’m playing,” Rice said. “I’ve got to put that on myself. Regardless of how many minutes, how many shots I’m getting, I’m going to go out there and try and make every shot possible.

“The minutes that I’m out there, I’m going to give it 110%.”

Jackson said that he had no problems with Rice’s attitude and that it was not Rice’s fault that he scored only five points in the recent loss to San Antonio.

“That wasn’t Glen’s problem in San Antonio--we just didn’t effectively find the match to use him,” Jackson said. “That is simply our fault as a team not being experienced enough [in the triangle offense]. . . .

“Glen gives good effort. You know, he’s not happy about his season. He obviously hasn’t shot the ball with the kind of accuracy he’d like to shoot the ball [42.4%, 36% on three-point shots]. And he thinks that this offense is going to work OK for him.”

O’Neal blamed the media for refusing to let the matter drop.

“I wish you guys would stop bringing it up,” O’Neal said. “I don’t want for a player to play his heart out and still hear he’s getting traded. . . .

“I’m concerned about that--if you guys keep messing with him like you guys messed with Eddie [Jones, last season].”

Jones, of course, was involved in accurate trade rumors, and Laker denials, for a month before he was eventually sent to the Charlotte Hornets for Rice.

TONIGHT

vs. Utah, 7:30

Fox Sports Net

* Site--Staples Center.

* Radio--KLAC (570).

* Records--Lakers 34-11, Jazz 27-17.

* Record vs. Jazz--2-1.

* Update--The Lakers are not the only struggling Western power. Since defeating the Lakers in double-overtime Jan. 24, Utah has dropped five in a row, including a home loss to Vancouver. Jackson wouldn’t elaborate, but the Laker coach suggested he could be making some changes in the rotation. “We just have to try to shake things up a little bit,” Jackson said.

* Tickets--Sold out.