SIZZLING RICE FRIES WEST : HORNETS BOMBER IS MVP EAST 132, WEST 120.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

His motto is, ``When in doubt, shoot. And if you're off, shoot again.'' So Glen Rice shot. And shot. And shot. And when the third quarter was complete, the world of hoist-and-hope basketball had a bold new champion.

With a shooting stroke as smooth as his clean-shaven head, Rice squared and fired the Eastern Conference to a 132-120 victory over the Western Conference Sunday in the 47th annual All-Star Game at Gund Arena.

Before 20,562 who came to pay homage not only to Sunday's superstars but also to the legends of the league's past five decades, the deadeye Hornets shooting guard took over the game with an uncanny display of marksmanship in the third quarter.

He scored an All-Star Game record of 20 points in the period, breaking Hal Greer's record of 19 points set in 1968. He also broke Wilt Chamberlain's mark for points in a half (24), established in 1962.

Rice finished with 26 points and edged out Michael Jordan, who registered the first triple-double in All-Star competition, for the most valuable player award.

Jordan finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and his pivotal play in the second quarter helped the East rebound from a 23-point deficit. Yet many of Rice's long-distance shots - he was 10 of 24 from the field, 4 of 7 from the 3-point line and scored all his points in 25 minutes - were pivotal.

``He came in and told me, `Keep stroking,' '' Rice said of Jordan's advice. ``He said, `I'm going to get you the ball. All the guys are going to be looking for you.' ''

They found him. He shot. Making his first four shots of the second half, he hit 8 of 11 shots in the quarter and four of five of his 3-pointers. His streak Sunday mirrored his last month: Rice has scored 30 or more points in 12 of the past 20 games and in three of those games he has broken the 40-point barrier. In a league low on offense and big on illegal defense, it was an esthetically pleasing sight.

``Sometimes you see the basketball going in before you release it, you feel everything you throw up is going in,'' Rice said. ``And it's one of the greatest feelings you can imagine. I love to shoot.''

``You know, they got Michael Jordan and he kind of took over the second quarter. Once he got going, everybody else got into the game,'' said the Lakers' Eddie Jones, playing in his first All-Star game. Jones added 10 points along with the dubious task of trying to guard Rice and Jordan.

``Rice is such a hard guy to defend when he's posted up or on the perimeter. They put me on him after he got going, but it was about four minutes too late.''

Others players who had big games: Anfernee Hardaway and Vin Baker (19 points apiece); Terrell Brandon scored 10 in front of his hometown fans, and Latrell Sprewell led the West with 19, including two surreal dunks on the break. One, especially, over Scottie Pippen, jolted the arena from a slumber.

Jordan led the East on a 27-5 tear the last 5:43 of the second quarter. During a scintillating 1-minute, 13-second stretch, he scored seven points.

Two of them came over Shawn Kemp. He began by posting up the Seattle forward, then faced him for a pretty jump shot from 9 feet out. He added a two-handed dunk off a missed free throw by Grant Hill with 41.7 seconds left.

The play was typical Jordan. He was conversing with Mitch Richmond near the midcourt line, chitchatting about nothing in particular, when he suddenly darted for the basket as Hill released the ball. Snaking through the key, he went high and dunked the miss. He playfully skipped back downcourt, smiling and laughing about his good fortune.

For all of Rice's accurate bombs in the third quarter and Jordan's deeds on the floor in the second quarter, it came in a distant second to intermission. The game nearly served as a backdrop to a 30-minute halftime celebration featuring a collection of the greatest players ever assembled on the same floor. The scoreboard continually played black-and-white television clips as 47 of the league's top 50 players took the floor at halftime amid much ado.

Depending on the entertainment booking, halftimes in the league often border on corny and tedious. But Sunday night's pageantry was not. The players filed onto the court, single file, wearing leather jackets bearing the team name with which they wanted to be associated. (Charles Barkley picked the 76ers.)

Aside from many of the current players, there were some protruding stomachs and receding hairlines. Yet they were all treated as if they were members of some backwoods Ohio prep football team that had just captured the state title.

Sweat glistening from his bald pate, Jordan was the first to rise on the makeshift platforms. By the time Bill Russell's name was announced, the building was filled with fireworks and balloons and noise.

``A couple of months ago, I had a chance to sit down and talk with Bill Russell,'' Jordan said. ``Hear some of his philosophy about how we approached the game, compare that to the way I approach the game, so I used it as an educational thing for me. I was pretty much in awe the whole time.''

by the NUMBERS

0: Number of appearances Shaquille O'Neal made during the All-Star weekend.

10: Eddie Jones' point total for his first All-Star appearance.

14, 11, 11: Points, rebounds and assists by Michael Jordan. The first triple-double in All-Star game history.

23: The lead the West had in the first half.

26: Points scored by Glen Rice, 24 in the second half.

98: Points scored by the East in the final 29 minutes.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--color) Lakers' Eddie Jones had his hands full trying to cover Michael Jordan, who got the first triple-double in the history of the game.

(2) ``By the look of this trophy,'' Glen Rice said, cuddling the All-Star trophy, ``I'd have to say I'm the best player in the world.''

Associated Press

Box: by the NUMBERS (see text)