A Lost Journey for Sacramento

Sacramento blew its chance to win the Pacific Division title when Jason Richardson scored 28 points in the Golden State Warriors’ 97-91 season-ending victory over the Kings on Wednesday night.

The Lakers’ double-overtime victory at Portland gave them the division title and the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference and relegated the reeling Kings to fourth in the standings.

Peja Stojakovic scored 27 points for the Kings, whose late-season collapse reached a low with their eighth loss in 12 games. After beating the Lakers on Sunday, Sacramento needed only one win to clinch its third straight division title but lost to Denver and Golden State.

Despite the high stakes, the Kings had the same confusion and weaknesses they’ve shown throughout the last two months since Chris Webber returned from knee surgery. Shooting poorly and getting outhustled by the Warriors, Sacramento fell behind by 15 points midway through the third quarter.

The Kings rallied, pulling within 76-73 on Mike Bibby’s jumper with 8:54 left as Coach Rick Adelman played four starters and All-Star Brad Miller for nearly the entire game in a desperate attempt to win.

But after Bibby made a steal and a layup to cut Golden State’s lead to 93-91 with 49 seconds left, Adonal Foyle made a hook shot in the lane and Webber missed a three-pointer.

Golden State had a strong finish to its 10th consecutive season out of the playoffs, winning 12 of its final 17 games.

The Warriors used only seven of their nine players in uniform for what probably was embattled Coach Eric Musselman’s final game.