For the basketball game's first 42 minutes, it was difficult to determine which team was playing for an improved Western Conference playoff seed and which had little more than pride as a reason to play.

Ultimately, the true picture became clear Saturday night at Arco Arena when the Portland Trail Blazers outlasted the Kings, 98-87, before a crowd of 12,875.

The Trail Blazers scored 18 of the game's final 23 points during the final six minutes. Portland (47-30) is in eighth place in the playoff race with five games remaining. The Trail Blazers are just three games behind four teams (Dallas, Denver, Utah and Phoenix) tied for second place in the conference.

Sacramento (24-53) lost its seventh straight game. 

Point guard Beno Udrih played a determined and dogged game to lead the Kings. He scored a team-high 22 points and added seven rebounds, six assists and three steals. The Kings received a boost from rookie forward Omri Casspi, who scored eight of his 13 points during the early portion of the fourth quarter.

Udrih's consistency played a major role in Sacramento's ability to forge 10 ties and 16 lead changes against Portland's young and athletic squad. 

However, the Kings' inability to make plays offensively and defensively with the game's outcome on the line plagued them once again.

Kings coach Paul Westphal watched as questionable officiating meshed with poor ballhandling and shot selection during the final six minutes to keep his squad from ending its six-game losing streak.

Westphal's rookie of the year candidate, Tyreke Evans, had one of his worst games of the season. Defended well by 6-foot-8 Nicolas Batum, Evans made just two of 12 field-goal attempts. He also committed four turnovers as Batum received support around the basket from 6-foot-11 veteran shot-blocker Marcus Camby.

"This was definitely not a Tyreke Evans-type of game," Westphal said. "I think the combination of Batum and Camby and not getting to the free-throw line (more than thrice) made it kind of tough."

The coach said his team's goals have not changed, nor have they been met.

"We have to find a way to win these kinds of games," Westphal said. "The fact that we've been able to put ourselves in position to win these games is good, but the next step of every minute of every game is to win close games against good teams. We have to learn how to get the shots we want, get the calls we want, get stops when we need them and get loose balls as long as I'm here."

Notes: Kings management presented Joe Cronin with a personalized No. 1 jersey. Cronin has worked as the team's historian for more than 20 years. ... The Kings' next game is Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs at Arco Arena. Sacramento will celebrate the contributions of former guard Bobby Jackson that evening.