Rice Downplays Hornet Matchup

Tonight’s game against Charlotte will be headlined by the return of Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell to Los Angeles for the first time since last season’s trade. But it will also be the first time forward Glen Rice, the key player picked up by the Lakers in the Jones and Campbell trade, faces his former team.

Rice is downplaying the matchup, saying it’s no different from any other game.

“I realize it is Charlotte, but I’m just going to go out there and play basketball,” Rice said. “I want to play well every game.”

But no matter how much he says otherwise, Rice knows this game is different.

“For me there is added incentive just because it’s the Charlotte Hornets. I want to go out there and get a W.”

*

Jones was activated Wednesday after sitting out six games because of a torn ligament in his left elbow, but he didn’t play against Utah and the Hornet publicity department reported he won’t dress tonight.

At practice Thursday, however, Jones went full speed with the rest of the team.

*

Thursday’s two-hour Laker practice might seem like more punishment than reward for a team on a 12-game winning streak, but Coach Phil Jackson has seen some things the Lakers needed to work on.

“I thought there were some guys who weren’t shooting the ball real well, and we wanted to touch that up a little bit,” Jackson said. “We’ve got to be a little more crisp, a little more decisive.”

After playing only four teams with winning records during the streak, the Lakers play nine teams with winning records in their next 12 games.