LAKERS LEFT WITH SPAR PARTS COOK HAS WORDS WITH COACHES IN LOSS, LATER APOLOGIZES DETROIT 93, LAKERS 78.

Byline: ROSS SILER

Staff Writer

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Before the Lakers set out on this eight-game road trip, their longest since December 1989, coach Phil Jackson framed it for his team in terms of bringing them together or tearing them apart.

After watching the scene that unfolded on the bench between the third and fourth quarters of Thursday night's 93-78 loss to the Detroit Pistons, it was hard not to conclude that the Lakers were coming apart at the seams.

Already beaten by the Pistons, the Lakers were broken when forward Brian Cook engaged in a furious shouting match with assistant coach Brian Shaw after Jackson removed Cook from the game for a perceived act of insubordination.

Jackson called for Cook to check in for Lamar Odom with 1:25 left in the third quarter, then removed him immediately after he believed Cook intentionally deposited his warm-up top in the coach's lap on his way to the scorer's table.

Jackson sent Andrew Bynum to replace Cook, who returned to the bench without playing a second. Once the quarter ended, Cook blew up during the timeout and Odom had to step in to keep him and Shaw separated.

"We talked about it just now after the game and he apologized," Jackson said. "That's not in character for Brian to do that but he's frustrated. He hasn't been playing in the regular rotation now. There's some things that's about that that's not unnatural."

Ever since Odom returned from a sprained knee ligament, Cook has struggled to find playing time. He signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension before the season opener, started 17 games while Odom was injured but after Thursday has not played in three of six games on this trip.

"Anybody who knows me, they know I'm passionate about the game to the fullest extent," Cook said. "I practice hard, I play hard, I work hard in the summer. I love my teammates. I'm a team player. I think (Jackson) knows that about me.

"I met with him afterwards and we settled it. I told him I didn't mean to do it. He said that he wants to do what's best for me. He's going to use me at the times he wants to use me. That's what I have to deal with is him using me the way he wants to.

"I've dealt with it all year. I've dealt with it for three years. It's nothing new for me. I look forward to dealing with it for three more years."

Cook also had a heated discussion with trainer Gary Vitti during a timeout with 8:58 left. He rejoined the huddle during timeouts but did not play even as the Lakers trailed by as many as 20 points in the quarter.

"You just try to nullify the situation," Shaw said. "There's always points in a game where your emotions get high. Sometimes you do or say things that you don't necessarily mean but you get caught up in the moment. I just felt like I needed to kind of address the situation and see if I could make it go away. Things happen."

It was the second shouting match for the Lakers on this trip. Odom and Sasha Vujacic had a fiery exchange during a fourth quarter timeout of last Friday's game at Indiana. But Jackson said he wasn't concerned that the Lakers were coming apart after 11 days on the road.

"I need players to be emotional about the game, want to play, to be desirous of getting in the ballgame and do their part," Jackson said. "Brian's one of those guys that is and he's frustrated because he's not getting an opportunity right now and he did.

"He had a regular rotation up until a couple weeks ago. But right now he's out. That's OK. That's part of what you do."

The Lakers didn't fare much better on the court, where they lost to the Pistons for the eighth consecutive time at the Palace. Only two Ronny Turiaf free throws with 25.9 seconds remaining saved the Lakers from their lowest scoring game of the season.

"We just got our butts kicked by a veteran team," Odom said. "They really made us look young."

The Lakers unraveled in the third quarter. Smush Parker drew a three- shot foul but missed twofree throws with the chance to make it a six-point game. Kobe Bryant also had a terrible time handling the ball, committing four turnovers and having a shot blocked.

Chauncey Billups twice stripped Bryant in the quarter and blocked his shot. The Pistons scored four times at the other end after Bryant lost the ball. Bryant finished with 18 points but made just 5 of 13 shots and had eight turnovers in all.

"Detroit plays great defense with their hands and they were able to get in Kobe's game tonight, grab his arm, grab the ball, knock it out of his hands," Jackson said. "It was frustrating for him, but we have to go around that stuff, we have to play beyond it."

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Photo:

(1 -- color) The Lakers' Andrew Bynum, Kobe Bryant and Smush Parker watch the final minutes of Thursday's loss from the bench.

Paul Sancya/Associated Press

(2) Lakers forward Brian Cook, left, has an exchange with coach Phil Jackson before the fourth quarter of Thursday's game.

Duane Burleson/Associated Press