Lakers Enter Playoffs on Positive Note, 125-107 : Pro basketball: Worst regular season in 18 years concludes with a victory over the Kings.

They won, and nobody got hurt, and after the Lakers’ season-ending 125-107 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night at the Forum, their focus quickly turned to finding redemption in the playoffs.

“It’s over now, and it’s a new season,” James Worthy said after contributing 17 points in the game that gave the Lakers a 39-43 record, their worst in 18 years (they were 30-52 in 1974-75).

“I understand well enough what’s happened here not to be humiliated by it. Quite frankly, I’m proud of the team. We kept our poise and kept it together. . . . (The season) is history. That’s how our approach has to be.”

Coach Randy Pfund’s approach Saturday night was to use the game as a rehearsal for Friday night’s playoff opener at Phoenix, doling out hefty amounts of playing time to the regulars and using the same rotation he plans to use against the Suns. A.C. Green responded with a game-high 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Vlade Divac scored 23 points to give the crowd of 16,482 a happy regular- season send-off.

“We talked about finishing up with a good one and playing well, and I thought we did that at times,” Pfund said. “And now it’s time to go to work. Certainly we’re going to be considered a heavy, heavy underdog, but we’ve been on the other side of that around here for a lot of years . . .

“I’m sure they’re not shivering at all in anticipation of us coming to town, but there are some things we can go at.”

The Lakers finished with a home record of 19-21, their worst ever at the Forum. Before this season, their worst record at the Forum was 21-20 in 1974-75.

Sedale Threatt had nine points and finished as the team scoring leader with a 15.1 average, the lowest team-leading average in Laker history and lowest to lead an NBA team since Kevin Edwards led Miami with a 13.8 average in 1988-89.

Despite the Lakers’ late-season stumbles, Green said the team’s attitude is better going into the playoffs than it was a year ago.

“We’re a little bit more at ease because, this year, we clinched a spot early,” he said, referring to last season’s last-day clinching. “I’m totally ecstatic, not only that we’re in the playoffs, but that we’re playing Phoenix. It’s very exciting to play a team that will force you to play at your best, and that’s what Phoenix will do.

“I wouldn’t be too surprised if no one picks us to win. But not me. I know what we can do. It’s a matter of doing it. I’ve seen the potential we have here. We have to make that potential reality.”

Said Divac, who had eight rebounds Saturday night and finished with a team-leading season average of 8.9: “The playoffs are different from the regular season. It’s like starting all over again. . . . I remember my first year (1989-90), we had the best record and Phoenix played us and they beat us. The same thing can happen to them that happened to us.”

Aware that losing Anthony Peeler to a severely sprained right foot robs them of a strong outside shooter and offensive spark, the Lakers might sign a player before submitting their playoff roster Monday. However, Pfund said he hadn’t discussed that fully with General Manager Jerry West or assistant general manager Mitch Kupchak, who have been out of town on a scouting mission.

The Lakers’ most pressing needs, though, lie elsewhere. Their effort was desultory Saturday night until late in the third quarter, when they scored 38 points, their most productive third quarter of the season.

Unlike Friday night’s 122-93 loss at Seattle, when he rested most of his starters, Pfund used Saturday night’s game as a playoff tuneup and stuck with his usual lineup. “I’d kind of like to see if we can put together a good game going on out into the playoffs,” he said.

But he didn’t get it in the first half, as only Green appeared to be in a playoff mode as the Lakers took a 56-54 lead into intermission. They were outrebounded, 24-22, in the first half, but had a 48-45 advantage by the end of the game.

Laker Notes

Magic Johnson, part of a group that on Monday will apply for an NBA expansion franchise for Toronto, said the group’s plans are proceeding well. “It’s going to be great,” said Johnson, who visited the Lakers’ locker room before Saturday’s game. . . . Coach Randy Pfund hasn’t dodged questions as speculation about his firing continues. He is scheduled to tape an interview with ESPN’s Roy Firestone for airing this week.