BACK-TO-BACK TRIPS ON ROAD THIS TIME, IT'S PISTONS WHO THROTTLE LAKERS DETROIT 111, LAKERS 88.

Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - It will be days, and maybe only a few of them, before the Lakers learn the complete depth of the damage they just did to themselves in a mere 24-hour span to start the week. In about a month, they'll know for sure, perhaps around the time they are assaulted by the deafening rattle of cowbells out in a Sacramento field.

For now, all they know is they have squandered a great opportunity, crushed their own momentum and severely damaged their growing morale.

That it all happened in two nights in the notoriously weak Eastern Conference only makes the predicament more embarrassing.

The Lakers' steady drive up the playoff seedings chart has been set back with consecutive losses, the latter an 111-88 rout by the wobbly Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at the Palace. It came on the heels of a similarly listless defeat in Chicago and just days after the Lakers had climbed, proudly, to sixth place in the West.

Two losses later, and the blank expressions of December had returned, coupled with awkward statements of regret.

``It's tough. It's not the perfect-case scenario to start a road trip,'' Kobe Bryant said.

Far from perfect, the Lakers' two-day stumble has placed them in a precarious position, with tough road games to be played in Minneapolis and Milwaukee before the week is over.

Not long ago, Bryant saved the season with his singular heroics, but Wednesday he needed 23 shots to score 21 points and got lost trying to guard Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton. More recently, it was Shaquille O'Neal who was driving the Lakers to important wins, but he was surprisingly ineffective against the undersized Pistons, finishing with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

O'Neal missed his last five shots. Bryant went 1 for 6 in the fourth quarter, when the Pistons outscored the Lakers 37-19, and coach Phil Jackson questioned Bryant's decision-making.

``We're regressing,'' Rick Fox said.

Before leaving L.A., the Lakers had lifted themselves to sixth in the West with consecutive home victories over Indiana, Minnesota and Philadelphia. In the giddiness of the moment they entertained, for first time in months, the thought of rising to No. 5 or even No. 4.

Now they have fallen to seventh, 1 1/2 games behind No. 6 Utah, five games behind No. 5 Minnesota and 6 1/2 behind No. 4 Portland.

There are just 19 games left to play, and the drive to secure at least one round of home-court advantage is nearly dead. More play like this, and they'll be opening the playoffs against the Sacramento Kings or Dallas Mavericks.

``There's a lot still to be decided,'' Fox said, ``but when we stand there at the end of that three-game sweep of those three good teams on our home floor, we're thinking, `OK, maybe four or five (in the standings).' It might be seven now. That's not a direction we were looking to go.''

Indeed, they are much closer to a lottery slot than fourth place. Houston and Phoenix are tied for eighth, two games behind the Lakers.

The consecutive losses are the Lakers' first since they were defeated by San Antonio and New York in mid-February - the same week O'Neal declared himself unfit and took a six-day break.

O'Neal surged after returning, but he has cooled considerably, and without much explanation.

He was spry and energetic early Wednesday night and had 15 points by halftime, despite foul trouble and five turnovers. Bryant also started fast and held Hamilton scoreless in the first half. But after taking a 29-18 lead in the first quarter, the Lakers wilted, undone by another night of sloppy defense.

Hamilton scored 14 points in the second half. Billups got by Bryant several times late and scored 14 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter. Like the Bulls on Tuesday, the Pistons shot better than 50 percent from the field (39 for 75), the third Lakers' opponent to do so in the last four games.

``I'm not so much worried about the defense,'' Jackson said. ``We played a great game the first quarter, (referee Dick) Bavetta got Shaq out of the ballgame, some dubious calls. Kobe hurt his knee and it just took the wind out of our energy and really changed the game around.''

CAPTION(S):

photo, 2 boxes

Photo:

(color) Kobe Bryant, going against Detroit's Clifford Robinson, scored 21 points Wednesday night, but he needed 23 shots to get it.

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

Box:

(1) WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

(2) GAME RECAP