They wiped their collective brows and, in the whispers of the Sonics' locker room, breathed a sigh of relief.

Injuries and back-to-back losses booted the Sacramento Kings from the No. 5 slot in the Western Conference to No. 6, which means they'll play the Northwest Division champion Sonics in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Sonics players secretly rejoiced. With injuries to three key players, Sacramento (50-32) looks like a more favorable matchup for the Sonics than solid Houston or surging Denver.

It all just digs a deeper chip in Sacramento guard Mike Bibby's tattooed shoulder.

The Kings wrapped up their fifth consecutive 50-win season Wednesday. But respect for the team is as isolated as the locale of Arco Arena.

The scrutiny for the Kings stems from the eight faces that weren't on their postseason roster last spring. Yet, at the helm remains Bibby, a 6-foot-1 point guard who has the Kings topping the league in assists. One-man shows don't always work (see Kobe Bryant), but Bibby has zipped around the court to fill in holes left by injuries, trades and inexperience.

He missed one game this season, a 107-93 win against Utah, due to a sprained right ankle. Otherwise Bibby has been a constant in a seemingly ever-changing Kings roster.

"He's a real crafty point guard," said Sonics center Jerome James, whose position in the paint becomes critical in the series. "The team runs by Bibby, because if Bibby doesn't have a good night their chances of being successful are very slim. I know people think that Peja Stojakovic is the engine of that team, but it's Mike Bibby. He's the engine of that team."

Attempting to mimic the scoring successes of Phoenix and Seattle, Geoff Petrie, the team's president of basketball operations, traded Doug Christie to Orlando in exchange for guard Cuttino Mobley and Michael Bradley in January. The result was a six-game win streak. Then in February, Petrie traded All-Star Chris Webber, along with Bradley and Matt Barnes, to Philadelphia for forwards Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson. The Kings have gone 16-12 since, but are second to the Suns in the league in scoring (103.7).

The difference in this series could be Bibby and a little surprise in returning guard Bobby Jackson.

"He's a guy that comes off a lot of screens," Ridnour said of Bibby. "He's a guy you gotta be ready for. He's going to be on the attack, and we know that. I'm going to pick him up and try to make him work."

Bibby leads the Kings in assists (6.8) and is second in scoring (19.6). Jackson is like the Sonics' Antonio Daniels off the bench, only more willing to shoot.

Jackson has been out of the rotation since December with an injured left wrist. But trainers must have sealed him with a "do not use until playoffs" sign until they unwrapped Jackson and stuck him back on the Kings' roster. He was activated for Wednesday's final regular-season game, and although Phoenix guard Steve Nash didn't play, Jackson slipped back into form, with 15 points and five assists in 16 minutes.

"They've had a lot of interchangeable parts not playing together," Sonics guard Ray Allen said. "Guys haven't been able to see each other. But I respect them all the same because they have good players."

Stojakovic (20.1 points a game) and Brad Miller (9.3 rebounds) are still dealing with injuries. Stojakovic, who experienced back spasms earlier this season, missed the season finale due to a strained groin and still feels pain when he runs. Miller is questionable with a leg injury.

But there will always be Bibby. In a seven-game series, that could be a constant problem.

Jayda Evans: 206-464-2067 or jevans@seattletimes.com