Sacramento Has Look of Champion

On the Lakers’ home court, at the subdued Staples Center where the lights didn’t seem quite as bright, where many fans didn’t return after halftime, where, even if it isn’t possible, it seemed as if a building was taking a deep breath in anticipation of the important part of its season beginning, the Sacramento Kings won their 60th game. They beat the Clippers, 125-106, Friday night.

They clinched the NBA Western Conference’s best record and, with that, earned home-court advantage through the playoffs.

This wasn’t as Vlade Divac said, “the Lakers’ home floor. Tonight.”

Time out for appreciation.

Mike Bibby makes the coolest behind-the-back pass to Divac, who catches it and scores early in the third quarter. Nobody seems to care except for one young King fan who sits on the aisle, two rows up, and cheers like crazy for this creative, athletic, well-conceived play.

There are a lot of those when the Kings play.

Time out for appreciation again.

Doug Christie whips a pass to Peja Stojakovic. Christie doesn’t look at Stojakovic, just slings the ball, about 15 feet, and Stojakovic catches it, holds it only long enough to pass it back to Christie, who makes a wide-open three-pointer.

Numbers say the Kings are the best team in the NBA. They have four more wins than anybody else. But numbers don’t tell the whole story.

“Until somebody beats them,” Chris Webber said, “the Lakers are the best team in the league.”

By beating them, Webber doesn’t mean here, on Wednesday night, in the regular-season finale. “If we beat them by 20,” Webber said, “the Lakers will only say it doesn’t matter. They make up whatever they want to make up at the time. If they beat us? It doesn’t matter. Not Wednesday.”

Before this historic night, when the Kings were going to win their 60th game, something that has never happened in team history, the Sacramento players were acting as if they’ve been here before.

They were neither cocky nor unenthusiastic. This milestone number, this 60, “it’s important,” Bibby said. “It’s a good accomplishment.” Does this mean the Kings are the best team in the league? “I’m not jumping to any conclusions.”

Time out for more appreciation.

Divac, running his 7-foot-1, 260-pound body at top speed, drops a pass into the arms of Stojakovic, who is also at full gallop, all 6-9, 229 pounds, and there is another layup. The execution is precise. The anticipation of Stojakovic and the understanding by Divac of where Stojakovic was going to be at, bam, the moment the ball needed to hit Stojakovic’s hands, are perfect.

Having earned home-court advantage, the Kings find it amusing to hear other teams (for “teams” read Lakers) say that isn’t an important accomplishment.

“Any team that says they don’t need [home court] is lying,” Webber said.

Since the Kings have the best home record in the league (35-4), it would seem Webber is telling the truth. But the Lakers always relish the quirkiest challenges and may mean it when they say they don’t care about that home-court thing. They may actually think it will be fun to have to win a game at Arco Arena when the building will be shaking with noise.

And that’s fine by Webber. “That’s what they say,” Webber said. “But I like what we have.”

Don’t take this for trash talk. Having been eliminated by Utah and the Lakers (twice) most recently in the playoffs, Webber speaks respectfully about what is ahead.

“The Pistons had to go through the Celtics before they finally won,” Webber said. “The Bulls had to get through the Pistons to make a statement. Winning 60 games won’t mean anything if we don’t win it all.”

Winning 60 (or more) and not beating the Lakers, or anybody else, will make the Kings, Webber said, just like the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners can talk all they want about those great and record-tying 116 regular-season wins, but no one else is talking about those now.

Time out for yet more appreciation.

Hidayet Turkoglu smacks Stojakovic right in the hands with one of those perfect passes. Stojakovic takes one, two, three, four, maybe five thundering steps. Whistle blows. Not a travel but a Clipper foul. The Kings are getting the calls that champions get.

“I believe we have the best team,” Divac said. “But what I think now doesn’t matter and what other people think now doesn’t matter. I think four teams have a chance to win it all--us, the Lakers, San Antonio and Dallas. Our record isn’t going to matter in the end.

“It’s what we do with what we’ve earned so far. Give us the home court and let’s see what happens. It’s great so far but we’re not the champions, and if we fall short, who will care about us?”

Time out for appreciation. The Kings may be gloating a little and they were happy and smiling, high-fiving and hugging on the bench as the starters were taken out. But the Kings weren’t boastful or tasteless in their little celebration. They were just winners.

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Diane Pucin can be reached at diane.pucin@latimes.com.