SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Following a chaotic 30-plus hours for the Nuggets, David Adelman met with reporters Wednesday for the first time as the team's interim head coach and was eager to remind everyone what Denver still is capable of only two seasons removed from an NBA title.

Adelman coached his first game Wednesday night in Sacramento in place of Michael Malone, who was fired along with general manager Calvin Booth in a stunning move Tuesday as the franchise hoped to stop a four-game skid and remain out of the play-in spots in the Western Conference.

For one night, at least, Denver regained its form, beating the Kings 124-116. It's in fourth place in the West with two regular-season games to go.

Speaking ahead of the Kings matchup, Adelman, the architect of the Nuggets' offense, said he and Josh Kroenke, vice chairman of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, met with the team in the wake of the firings.

"We are in the mix here, and I think people forget that," Adelman said. "[Pundits] keep thinking that we didn't make the playoffs or whatever. We still have a great chance to do something special. We talked about that. The guys seemed convinced. So I'm expecting a really good effort."

Adelman said Kroenke's message to the team was to "be better."

Adelman, 43, has been an assistant for the Nuggets for eight seasons. He spent time Wednesday thanking his predecessor.

"What he did for this team, best coach in history," Adelman said of Malone. "Can't argue it. Percentage-wise, wins, Finals, championship. The experience he gave me eight years allowing me to grow as a coach ... all the guys on this coaching staff that are here, we've been together for a long time. And those guys growing up underneath us, the Jamal's [Murray], Nikola's [Jokic], Michael [Porter Jr.], adding Aaron [Gordon], Christian [Braun], what he's doing now.

"I look at it as a hell of a run, and [Malone's] not done. So honored to work for the guy and honored to take this seat and do the best I can."

Despite the fact that Malone and Booth led the Nuggets to a championship in 2023, ownership opted to fire the former and not extend the latter's contract after the team had been struggling. Sources said a long rift involving Malone and Booth grew into a "cold war" over matters such as playing and developing younger players in the rotation in the second unit. Also, since the All-Star break, the Nuggets were 11-13 entering Wednesday. Sources said ownership wanted to make the change because the vibes were poor and that the team wasn't responding, particularly on defense, which had taken a dip.

Players such as Jokic and Gordon also have displayed visible frustration on the sideline in recent losses.

Malone, though, did have to deal with injuries to key players such as Murray, who sat out his sixth straight game Wednesday because of a hamstring injury, and Gordon, who has dealt with a calf injury this season.

Malone was 471-327 in Denver and led the franchise to its only NBA championship during a season that saw him provide a strong voice and toughness. And Booth made key moves such as drafting Braun and trading for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in his first season as GM in 2022-23.

Sources also said ownership made the moves hoping to make the most of what is remaining this season for Jokic and give the three-time MVP a chance to turn things around and make a deep postseason run.

"I just think our overall vibe," Adelman said when asked what needs to change. "I think that happens in professional sports."

He then spoke about his father, Rick, a Hall of Fame coach who spent eight seasons leading the Kings.

"It's funny to be in Sacramento for this and know that my father was here for eight years and to think that thing would never end when it was going and the vibe here was incredible," he said. "I felt like that in Portland as a kid (where Rick Adelman was head coach for six seasons). Terry [Porter], Clyde [Drexler], Jerome [Kersey], Buck [Williams], [Kevin] Duckworth, it ends sometimes, just the feeling of it.

"And I think that's our goal here. It's only three games, it's 12 quarters or maybe some overtimes, who knows? But I do think it's on the room to start to rely on each other in a more positive way, and constructive criticism is good. But I think there's got to be a better way to communicate with our group, and that I think will lead to better play."

After facing the Kings, the Nuggets play Memphis at home before finishing the regular season at Houston.

Nuggets ownership is hoping its seismic decision will provide the team with a shot in the arm. And it will also get a closer look at Adelman, who interviewed for other head coach vacancies last year, such as the one with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Obviously we have some very dangerous pieces on this team," Adelman said. "So we just got to get there, and it's going to be a challenge.

"... Keep the ship moving. We have had so much success, and it's the same faces and obviously we all change our roles. I think that was the hardest thing for me yesterday was your first thought is for Coach [Malone] and his family, Calvin and his family. And then immediately my next thought was delegation. And where do you put responsibilities? Especially I have a lot of them and now I have to pass it off to somebody else in 24 hours. There's a ripple effect how the staff coexists. And I think that's the biggest thing is for me, my responsibility is to make these guys feel like it's organized.

"Yes, there was a big change. We talked about it and you have to move past it."

DALLAS -- Tears welled in Luka Doncic's eyes and he buried his head in a towel Wednesday night, back in the building he called his NBA home for 6 seasons before the trade that turned his world upside down.

Returning to play the Mavericks for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, Doncic was honored by his former franchise with a lengthy tribute video during player introductions. As the videoboard flashed an amazing array of basketball highlights that showed why he became one of the most beloved figures in Dallas sports history, Doncic struggled to keep it together.

"After that video, I was, like, 'There's no way I'm playing this game,'" Doncic said. "It was so many emotions."

He didn't just play, he dominated, providing a painful reminder for every Mavs fan in attendance of the player the franchise parted with in a deal with the Lakers in February in which Dallas acquired Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick.

At the end of the game, when Doncic checked out after tying a season high with 45 points and leading L.A. to a 112-97 win that clinched a playoff berth, it was all smiles from him and his Lakers teammates who swarmed him and chanted along with the "Luka! Luka!" cacophony from the crowd.

"Big time, because they all had my back," Doncic said of sharing the moment with his new team. "Everybody had my back, from coaches to players, and we're trying to build something special here. That was really, really, really nice to see."

Lakers coach JJ Redick deadpanned that he would have liked to see a few more points from Doncic, quipping, "I thought he was going to get 50, I was disappointed." But in all sincerity, Redick said he believed his players took a major step forward together.

"Greg [St. Jean] said to me, 'This is going to be awesome for our group to go through this with him, and for him to go through this with them,'" Redick said of his conversation with one of the assistant coaches on his staff. "Does that mean we're going to win an NBA championship or get to the conference finals? I don't know. But it was an awesome moment for everyone."

Well, not everyone.

Throughout the night, when the Lakers went to the free throw line, loud "Fire Nico!" chants echoed throughout American Airlines Center. Nico Harrison, the Mavs president of basketball operations and general manager responsible for bringing the trade concept to L.A., spent the game standing in a tunnel near midcourt, mostly out of view.

Shortly after Doncic checked out with 1:34 left in the fourth and the win in hand, the crowd reprised its "Fire Nico!" chant a couple of more times.

The day was a spectacle as much as it was a basketball game. Fans gathered at the plaza where Dirk Nowitzki's statue stands outside the arena hours before tipoff, some to celebrate Doncic's return and others to vent their frustration that Doncic had to ever be returning in the first place. There were signs. There were chants. One fan, dressed in a blue Doncic Mavs jersey, Mavs shorts and a pair of Doncic signature Jordan sneakers, spent the afternoon running 77 laps around the arena in his own form of protest.

Doncic's emotions mirrored the fan base.

"It was a little bit of both, happy and angry," Doncic said of what he felt when he pulled up to the arena in his Apocalypse HellFire Jeep. "But it's nice to see some familiar faces here. ... I really appreciate the fans, the way they reacted to me."

The Mavs placed T-shirts on every seat with "Hvala za vse," printed in gray letters on the front, the Slovenian phrase translating to "Thank you for everything." And the seats were filled with important figures from Doncic's time in Dallas, such as Nowitzki and former Mavs owner Mark Cuban, who was wearing a Davis T-shirt.

It was a quiet night for Davis, playing in only his eighth game with the Mavs after sitting out because of a left adductor strain. He finished with 13 points on 5-for-13 shooting, 11 rebounds and 6 assists. Christie scored 11 off the bench against his former team.

After the final buzzer, Doncic made his way around the court, hugging his former teammates as well as Kansas City Chiefs quarterback (and Mavs superfan) Patrick Mahomes, his parents and Davis, too.

"Both of us were caught off [guard], surprised by [the trade]," Davis said. "But that was two months ago. It happened. There's nothing we can do about it now. Just told him, 'Good game.' He played a hell of a game. Just a respect thing."

Doncic scored 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting in the first quarter, helping L.A. keep pace with Dallas while playing on the second night of a back-to-back after losing in Oklahoma City on Wednesday. He had 31 points by halftime and finished the game 16-for-28 from the field (7-of-10 from 3), with 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals.

"He got into the rhythm early," Redick said, "and he never really lost that rhythm."

Before the game, Mavs coach Jason Kidd reflected on the trade, referencing another infamous swap between the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. "Trades happen, this won't be the last trade," Kidd said. "Some have compared it to Babe Ruth, which is kind of cool."

As clunky as the comparison might have been, considering the "Curse of the Bambino" that lingered in Boston was hardly "cool" for the team that parted with Ruth, members of the Mavs made it a point to be welcoming toward Doncic. Dallas center Dereck Lively II exchanged signed jerseys with Doncic. And big man Daniel Gafford was glad to see the organization recognize Doncic the way it did.

"I saw he was crying for his tribute [video]," Gafford said. "I was just whispering to myself, 'As he should.' ... It was a great night for him, for sure."

LeBron James, who scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half to help stave off a Mavs comeback attempt, also marveled at his new teammate's performance.

When James was told Doncic said he wasn't sure how he pulled it off to play so well, the Lakers star said: "You can call that an out-of-body experience then, because he was locked in from start to finish."

And now that his return to Dallas was behind him, Doncic was asked if he felt as if he had found closure after the trade.

"It's a hard question," Doncic said. "For sure, it's a little bit more. Talking about closure, sometimes hard because I spent a lot of time here. Great moments. But it's getting more and more [normal].

"I got to focus on different things now."

ESPN's Tim MacMahon contributed to this report.

The first question for many NBA fans after the Dallas Mavericks shockingly traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 2 was simple: When do the Lakers next play in Dallas?

The answer: April 9, a nine-week wait for what ultimately would become one of the most anticipated regular-season games.

Sure, the Mavericks already had traveled to face Doncic and his new team on March 1, a 109-104 Lakers victory.

But Wednesday night's contest at American Airlines Center was the league's must-see event of the second half.

Doncic, the crowd in Dallas and both teams met the moment, and the Mavericks' former star reminded his former franchise why fans held protests, and even a symbolic funeral, after the trade.

Behind 45 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Doncic led the Lakers to a 112-97 win, clinching a playoff spot for Los Angeles in the process. Following an emotional pregame intro, Doncic poured in 31 first-half points as the crowd erupted with each touch.

From what the atmosphere was like inside the arena to what the Mavericks can do in the offseason and what this victory might mean for the Lakers' playoff chances, our ESPN insiders tackle the biggest questions from Doncic's first game back in Dallas.

1. The atmosphere in Dallas on Wednesday was _______

Emotional, electrifying and extremely awkward at times.

Tears flowed down Doncic's cheeks as the Mavericks' tribute video for him played before his turn in pregame introductions. He's still clearly getting over the heartbreak after suddenly being shipped away from the city he hoped would be his NBA home forever.

That was a sentiment shared by the vast majority of folks who filled American Airlines Center. That included Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki, who attended his first Dallas home game since the Doncic trade. (The only other NBA game Nowitzki has watched in person since Feb. 1? His buddy Doncic's Lakers debut in Los Angeles.)

A small percentage of the fans wore the white giveaway T-shirts with "Hvala za vse" -- thanks for everything, in Slovenian -- printed on the front. Many more sported Doncic's No. 77 jerseys, from Mavs to Slovenia to Lakers editions. Others donned shirts expressing their frustration with Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, the man primarily responsible for Doncic's undesired departure.

"Fire Nico!" chants were frequent, beginning with the first dead ball four seconds after the opening tip as Harrison stood in a midcourt tunnel.

On the other hand, Doncic was showered with love and adoration as he lit up the franchise he hoped he'd belong to forever. -- Tim MacMahon

2. The biggest lesson to take away from this game is ____

It is counterintuitive, but this was the night when Doncic became a Laker. His team totally was devoted to uplifting him and protecting him and rallying around him. It was not a hostile environment, obviously, and that made it feel different than other players in "return" games. But that didn't mean Doncic wasn't vulnerable. It was the most vulnerable he has ever been in his basketball career, and he knew it. He knew it in the same way he knew to ask for a towel when the pre-tipoff video started playing because he knew how he would respond to it. And the Lakers collectively experienced a performance that absolutely elevated their bond as a team.

Doncic is still going to have a temper; he's still going to curse out referees and fans. But his connection with his team is what changed Wednesday night. He felt it, too, when he told ESPN's Lisa Salters on the floor after the game, "It's time to move on."

The Lakers still have roster challenges, though once again, JJ Redick had a swarming game plan aimed at crowding Anthony Davis and ignoring less feared players on the perimeter that helped cover up L.A.'s size issues. And just because the Lakers had this memorable evening, doesn't mean they're headed for a storybook ending.

But it was potentially a foundational moment to build from, one that could be remembered as a crucial building block to bigger moments in the Lakers' future. -- Brian Windhorst

3. Luka's performance in Dallas was _____

Everything we could have hoped. Capturing the moment, Doncic shifted quickly from shedding tears to raining 3s. He had three makes from beyond the arc in each of the first two quarters en route to 31 points, his most in a half with the Lakers.

Doncic's scoring pace predictably slowed after halftime. That showcased the value of his partnership with LeBron James, who tallied 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as the Lakers opened up a double-digit lead. Down the stretch, Doncic took over again, scoring seven consecutive points for L.A. starting at the 3:30 mark, before leaving to a standing ovation with 45 points.

Doncic needed just 28 shot attempts, plus nine foul shots, to get there. Add in 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals and Doncic's 48.1 game score was his second highest this season, per Basketball-Reference.com.

Mavericks fans have witnessed so many of these incandescent performances from Doncic, making it bittersweet to see one in his return. Per ESPN Research, Doncic joined Wilt Chamberlain (1964-65 campaign) as just the second player in NBA history to score at least 45 points both for and against the same team in the same season. -- Kevin Pelton

4. The biggest offseason priorities for Dallas are ____

Getting back a healthy Kyrie Irving, using their lottery pick and, once again, exploring trades. Other than the veterans minimum exception, Dallas does not have money to spend in free agency. What it does have is three first-round picks and 12 players earning between $2 million and $16 million available to trade.

Is that enough to potentially bring in Kevin Durant to team up with Irving and Anthony Davis? Because the Mavs are projected to be a first apron team, they would need to trade at least four players and still remain below the apron -- a tall task considering Irving, Durant and Davis would earn a combined $150 million.

But Nico Harrison has a track record of big moves; the roster that finishes the 2025-26 season could look very different than the one in October. Since taking over basketball operations in June 2021, Harrison has made 16 trades and has continually searched for the right combination of players to win a championship. The lone players remaining from the Mavs' 2022 Western Conference finals team are Dwight Powell and Spencer Dinwiddie. -- Bobby Marks

A wonder goal from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia upstaged a brilliant curling shot from teammate Désiré Doué as Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals on Wednesday.

The pair of sumptuous strikes left PSG coach Luis Enrique raving about both players after a game in which his team took a major step toward the semifinals.

Between Doué's goal and his teammates, there was no doubt, however, that Kvaratskhelia's was the best of the night.

"For a coach like me it's so great to have a player like [Kvaratskhelia], with his mentality. He scored a brilliant goal," Luis Enrique said about Kvaratskhelia. "We tried to sign him last summer and it didn't work out.

"We signed him [in January] when we didn't really expect to. He's got everything to be part of our project."

Kvaratskhelia sprinted down the left from just over the halfway line and then mesmerized Villa's defense in a blizzard of quick feet and superb balance.

Advancing at pace with the ball seemingly glued to his right foot, he then wrong-footed defender Axel Disasi with a sudden change of direction, before rolling the ball onto his left foot in one smooth motion and blasting an unstoppable shot over the head of Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez.

After Morgan Rogers gave Villa the lead in the 35th minute, the 19-year-old Doué drew PSG level four minutes later with the 12th goal of his breakthrough season.

Kvaratskhelia put PSG in front four minutes after the break and left back Nuno Mendes added a third goal in stoppage time with a fine finish of his own.

"I think the result reflects the difference between us and them," said PSG coach Luis Enrique, whose side has greater firepower and showed more of a threat going forward. "Our objective is to keep the ball and be aggressive in attack."

The return leg is next Tuesday at Villa Park.

Kvaratskhelia's goal was exactly the kind of effort that earned the flying Georgia winger the nickname "Kvaradona" when he was playing for Napoli, in reference to soccer maestro Diego Maradona -- the Italian club's greatest ever player -- and prompted PSG coach Luis Enrique to spend 70 million (then $72 million) on him in the winter transfer window.

Shortly after Kvaratskhelia's goal, Martínez made a great save low to his right against Achraf Hakimi's powerful shot as PSG poured forward looking for a third goal.

Villa was at this stage of the competition for the first time since 1983 and dealt well with early pressure before taking the lead with a well-worked goal.

Bustling captain John McGinn won the ball in midfield and advanced before picking out Marcus Rashford, the forward who scored a stoppage-time winner here for Manchester United six years ago. Rashford fed Youri Tielemans overlapping down the left and he pinged a cross to the back post where Rogers was left unmarked to tap in.

The lead was brief as Doué picked up the ball on the left of the penalty area, skipped past two players and curled the ball into the top right corner.

"He's got everything he needs to become a great player," Luis Enrique said of Doué. "He really doesn't need much space to dribble."

Martínez played long balls early on to test PSG's defense, but he was soon called into action with a flying save from Ousmane Dembélé's angled strike in the eighth minute.

He couldn't do much about the goals that beat him, however, with Nuno Mendes showing a forward's touch when he latched onto Dembélé's pass, cut inside a defender and deftly guided the ball in.

"We've watched their last few games and know how deadly and sharp they've been," Rogers said. "They've put the world on notice now."

But Villa coach Unai Emery believes he can still eliminate the club he coached from 2016-18.

"I believe we will win next week," Emery said. "Villa Park is our home."

Raphinha apologized to Pau Cubarsí for stealing his goal after opening the scoring in Barcelona's 4-0 Champions League quarterfinal rout against Borussia Dortmund at the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday.

Robert Lewandowski also scored twice and Lamine Yamal added the fourth to leave Barça in a commanding position going into next week's second leg in Germany.

Raphinha netted the first goal of the game, sliding in to push Cubarsí's shot, which was almost over the line anyway, into the back of the net in the 25th minute.

But the Brazilian faced a nervous wait as VAR reviewed whether he was onside when defender Cubarsí prodded the ball toward the goal after latching on to Iñigo Martínez's knockdown.

"I was worried on the first goal if I was offside, it's good that it was given," Raphinha told reporters. "I apologized to Cubarsí. He told me no worries, he'd count it as an assist. I thought the ball was going wide; it was an instinctive decision."

It was Raphinha's 12th goal in the Champions League this season -- more than any other player in the competition -- and he also set up goals for Lewandowski and Yamal to push his assist tally to seven.

In total, he has 19 goal contributions in the tournament for Barça this season, matching Lionel Messi's best return for the club in a single European campaign.

"I love playing with top-level players," Raphinha added of his incredible form. "We know each other really well on the pitch and that is important. We're achieving spectacular numbers and we hope we keep going like this."

It was the 21st time in 48 matches this season that Barça have scored four goals or more. Lewandowski now has 40 goals in all competitions this term -- and 99 for Barça -- while Yamal has netted 14.

The win over Dortmund leaves Barça on the verge of a first semifinal since 2019, against either Bayern Munich or Inter Milan, although coach Hansi Flick warned against thinking the tie is already over ahead of the return game next Tuesday.

"It's still not won," Flick said in a news conference. "You never know what can happen in football. It can be a crazy sport.

"We have to play like we played today, do what we know. But first we turn our attention to Leganés on Saturday. Then we will speak about Dortmund.

"We also have a good position in LaLiga [four points clear with eight games to go] and we want to defend it. So we want to beat Leganés. That's the focus now."

Dortmund had chances to make the game closer going into the second leg. Serhou Guirassy missed a hat trick of chances before halftime and Wojciech Szczęsny was forced into a couple of late saves.

Coach Niko Kovač had no complaints about the scoreline, though, and acknowledged his side's European campaign is probably over.

"We were deserved losers today," he said in a news conference. "At this level we made too many errors which Barça took advantage of with their quality. What annoys me is we invited them to counterattack by losing the ball. It's going to be really difficult in the second leg, as you know.

"I am always optimistic but I am also realistic. It's a heavy loss. Our chances of getting through are small. We will analyze what happened, try and play a good game against Bayern Munich [in the Bundesliga] this weekend and then focus on the second leg.

"We know it will be really difficult, but we have to maintain a glimmer of hope. Without that glimmer, it would be impossible."

: Protagonist' Messi set for key role as Inter Miami face LAFC

VIDEO SHOWS: INTER MIAMI PLAYERS TRAINING/ LIONEL MESSI TRAINING/ FORMER SOCCER PLAYER AND PRESIDENT AND CO-OWNER OF INTER MIAMI, DAVID BECKHAM HANGING OUT AROUND TRAINING FACILITY/ PRESS CONFERENCE WITH INTER MIAMI COACH JAVIER MASCHERANO AND...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Justin Fields will be the New York Jets' eighth different Week 1 quarterback in the past 14 years.

Yes, he's walking into a tough job. Then again, the one he left was no picnic.

"It was, of course, different for me and a space where I wasn't necessarily comfortable," Fields said Wednesday in his first media availability since signing a two-year, $40 million contract last month as a free agent.

He helped the Pittsburgh Steelers to a 4-2 start last season, but he was benched for the first time in his life when Russell Wilson was deemed healthy after a calf injury. Fields never got another shot, even when the offense cratered late in the season.

Instead of looking back with bitterness, Fields said he believes the experience will make him a better quarterback for the Jets. He replaces future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, who was released after an uneven season.

"Coach [Mike] Tomlin made a decision he thought was best for the team, and I'm never going to go against that," Fields said, reflecting on the benching. "I'm not a selfish guy whatsoever, so I just tried to change my perspective, get better each and every day in practice."

He was a backup for the past 11 games, plus a playoff game, leaving him in "a place where I wasn't, really, never in ... in my entire life," he said. The Steelers tried to re-sign Fields, but the Jets came in strong with a $30 million guarantee and an opportunity to establish himself as their long-term answer.

Fields insisted the benching had no bearing on his decision to leave the Steelers.

"You can't take things personal," he said. "That's one thing I've learned over the years, not to take anything personal. At the end of the day, I was just excited of what the Jets had going on here with AG [Aaron Glenn] and just with the coaching staff, so it didn't really have anything to do with Pittsburgh."

This is Fields' third NFL stop. He was the Chicago Bears' first-round pick in 2021, then was replaced by 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. He was traded to Pittsburgh, where he threw five touchdowns, ran for another five and posted a career-high 66% completion rate after three spotty years in Chicago.

"I think I'm progressing and getting better each and every year, and I'm excited to get things rolling this year," Fields said.

The Jets appear to be in all-in on Fields, 26, with Glenn saying that the former Ohio State quarterback still hasn't reached his ceiling.

"I think he's a dynamic player, and I think there's more we can get out of that player," Glenn said at the recent owners meetings. "I'm looking forward to that."

Glenn wasn't being critical of the Steelers and Bears, but he suggested that Fields can do more as a dropback passer. His running ability is well-documented; he averages 50 rushing yards per game.

"I think I did what I was asked to do and I've never had a problem with that," said Fields, looking back on his time in Chicago and Pittsburgh. "I've always been a team player."

Wasting no time, Glenn already has named Fields the starting quarterback, with Tyrod Taylor remaining in the backup role. Glenn did it, in part, to give Fields the chance to establish himself as a team leader.

They're only three days into the offseason program, but Fields already has made a good impression.

"I think he's the right man for the job," said newly signed cornerback Brandon Stephens, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. "I think he has what it takes to lead this offense, to lead this team. I think the sky's the limit."

Sacramento Kings guard Malik Monk will be reevaluated in two weeks because of a left calf strain, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.

This timetable sidelines Monk, who is averaging a career-high 17.2 points, for the remaining three games of the regular season, including Wednesday's matchup with the Denver Nuggets, as well as postseason games in the NBA's play-in tournament.

Monk sustained the injury late in the first quarter of Monday's win over the Pistons in Detroit, a game the shorthanded Kings entered without forwards Keegan Murray (back) and Jake LaRavia (thumb).

The Kings, who already clinched a play-in berth, are currently in ninth place in the Western Conference standings, holding a one-game lead over the Dallas Mavericks.

Sacramento hosts the LA Clippers on Friday and the Phoenix Suns on Sunday to close out the regular season.

TORONTO -- Raptors forward Brandon Ingram has been shut down for the rest of the season after receiving an injection in his injured left ankle, coach Darko Rajakovic said Wednesday.

Ingram has been sidelined since early December because of a sprained left ankle. He has not played for the Raptors since being acquired from New Orleans on Feb. 6. He signed a three-year, $120-million contract extension with Toronto on Feb. 11.

Toronto hosted Charlotte in its home finale Wednesday. The Raptors have two games left.

Rajakovic said Ingram visited a specialist in New York City last week, when the Raptors were facing the Brooklyn Nets. Ingram received a platelet-rich plasma injection Tuesday, his coach said.

"It's what he needs," Rajakovic said. "He's been recovering really well."

Rajakovic said Ingram was expected to be healthy in time for Toronto's summer training program.

The No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft, Ingram averaged 22.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 assists in 18 games this season.

Ingram sat on the bench Wednesday wearing a University of Houston Cougars basketball jersey with his teammate Jamal Shead's name and No. 1 on the back. Ingram, who played one season at Duke, had to wear the jersey after losing a wager when the Cougars rallied to beat the Blue Devils last Saturday in a national semifinal game.

Shead played for Houston from 2020 to 2024.

CLEVELAND -- Chicago White Sox catcher Korey Lee had to be helped off the field after he rolled his left ankle during the sixth inning of Wednesday night's 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians.

The White Sox said Lee was ruled out with left ankle soreness and will undergo further testing.

Lee was trying to get back to first base after pinch hitter Nick Maton struck out when he stepped awkwardly on the first-base bag on catcher Austin Hedges pickoff throw. Lee got back in time but was tagged out by Cleveland's Carlos Santana after he rolled off the bag for the third out of the inning.

Lee was helped off the field by the training staff and was replaced by Matt Thaiss, finishing 0 for 2 on the night with a walk and a strikeout. He's now batting .333 (5 for 15) on the season.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.