SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The old Arco Arena vibe was alive and well on Monday night.

[RECAP: Kings finally hold on for win over Warriors, 129-119]

Heads bobbed, thundersticks boomed, the officiating of public enemy No. 1, Dick Bavetta, was booed as always (see: 2002 Western Conference Finals, Game 6), and the looming reality that the Kings aren’t likely long for this city was generally ignored as they ran past the Warriors 129-119 in what may have been the last Sacramento matchup between regional rivals. But the signs that the Kings won’t be here next season remained, and the absence of an actual sign on the building is as good a place to start as any.

They call this place Power Balance Pavilion now -- at least in theory. The official end to the Arco Arena came on March 1, right about the time the Power Balance representatives were announcing an indefinite delay to the building signage that would be part of the new agreement. The old lettering is long gone, but only a blank space remains because, well, that‘s a lot of time and money to waste considering you can practically hear the moving vans rolling in. The reading of tea leaves has never been so easy.

The Maloof family which owns the Kings made their intentions clear on Feb. 24, when the NBA confirmed that they had requested an extension on the March 1 deadline to file for relocation. Their wish was eventually granted, and sources close to the situation continue to indicate that their ultimate desire -- escaping the small market hell of California’s Capital City and embracing a more lucrative life in Anaheim -- will be well on its way to happening by the time the new April 18 deadline comes around.

The breakdown of this possible break-up is not complicated. The building which gained so much national acclaim during the Kings’ hey-day is 23 years old now, with nearly a decade of that lifespan spent with Sacramento city officials and the Maloofs spinning their respective wheels searching for a viable plan for a new arena. The team’s payroll was slashed in recent years, with the Kings’ once-enviable attendance figures plummeting soon thereafter along with their win total.

In Anaheim, they would be a tenant in the Honda Center that is currently the home to the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. And while the skepticism is valid regarding their eventual fan base and how passionate they would be for the league’s third team in that market, the television rights revenues that could quadruple the Kings’ current contract and the chance to be more competitive in a large market are clearly motivation enough to mask any concerns for the Maloofs.

Sacramento Mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson has been talking for weeks as if it’s a foregone conclusion that the team will leave, saying as recently as Monday that the Maloofs have one foot and “three toes, maybe four” on the other foot out his city’s door. Yet one Kings’ minority owner insisted on Monday night that while the chances are high the team will leave, issues remain in the negotiations that must be resolved and the slim chance that they stay remains.

Meanwhile, the most surreal of scenes plays out inside the organization.

Exhibit A: the team-owned and produced radio show on local station KHTK that runs weekly, “Kings Talk,” will, according to sources, no longer be taking phone calls from listeners because of the uncomfortable dynamic the relocation situation presented on the show. The nonstop questions kept coming that only the Maloofs could answer, leading to the decision to discuss the on-floor matters only in a taped format.

There will be good news to discuss for once on Tuesday, as the Kings’ win over Golden State snapped a six-game losing streak and was just their fourth victory in the last 20 games. Newly-acquired guard Marcus Thornton had a career-high 42 points and center Samuel Dalembert followed suit with a career-high 27 points for the Kings, who led by as many as 25 over a Warriors club that was nothing short of woeful until a fourth quarter in which they cut the lead to seven points with a minute remaining.

The vibe was indeed back, but the team may very well not be.

Read more: Amick: Reality at Building Formerly Known as Arco
Tune to SportsNet Central at 6, 10:30 and midnight on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area for more on this story

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The Sacramento Bee reported that lawyers for the Maloof family, which owns the franchise, have filed trademark restrictions for the names Anaheim Royals, Anaheim Royals of Southern California, Orange County Royals and Los Angeles Royals.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim city council unanimously approved a $75 million bond deal Tuesday night to entice the Sacramento Kings to relocate to Orange County.

The city council twice voted 5-0 for the measures to a round of applause from its packed City Hall meeting room, calling it another major step in luring the Kings to Honda Center.

"Anaheim took a giant step closer to bringing an NBA team to Anaheim and the Honda Center," Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait said. "I'm thrilled. Actually, a better word is stoked."

During the city council meeting, it also was announced that the team name would have "Anaheim as its first word and sole geographic identifier." Attorneys for the Kings earlier this month filed for trademarks on several names, including the Anaheim Royals. The name change would take the team back to its roots; it was known as the Rochester Royals when it was founded in 1945 and later the Cincinnati Royals when the team moved in 1957.

"A priority for our city was to make sure any new professional team that comes to Anaheim truly becomes part of our community," Tait said. "We've included language in the agreement that ensures this team will have Anaheim and only Anaheim in the team name."

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IM suprised Lakes and clips don't get money for team to move in.

Always thought Long Island would have gotten a team again. That Crap arena is an embarassment!

K22 wrote:

Nalod wrote:Kind of sad. Kings really backed their teams for years. I don't like when cities lose teams.

IM suprised Lakes and clips don't get money for team to move in.

Always thought Long Island would have gotten a team again. That Crap arena is an embarassment!

I'm surprised the Lakers don't spend money for the Clippers to move OUT. Then again, Clipper home games vs. the Lakers are actually Laker home games so that's why they've let them stick around.

LOL.