Two key themes emerged from the Sacramento Kings’ dominant 130-88 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night. First, the Kings played with a renewed sense of urgency. Second, they marveled at the performance of their recent acquisition, Zach LaVine, who erupted for 42 points. As Sacramento continues its push for postseason positioning, the team hopes to carry those themes into Wednesday’s matchup against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. LaVine’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. He hit 16 of 19 shots, including an impressive 8-of-9 from beyond the arc. It marked his second game with 30-plus points in the last three contests, setting season highs in both points and three-pointers made. Sacramento snapped a two-game losing streak

Bogdan Bogdanovic was assessing his struggles in his first start with the Los Angeles Clippers when he indirectly captured the pulse of the team. The Clippers are getting a clear view of their issues heading into Wednesday’s visit to the Chicago Bulls. With key starters Kawhi Leonard (left foot soreness) and Norman Powell (left patellar tendinopathy) sidelined, along with reserve Ben Simmons (left knee injury management), Los Angeles fell 106-97 to Detroit on Monday, marking their third straight loss and sixth in nine games. Despite their struggles, the Clippers still held the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference before Tuesday’s action but were only two games ahead of 10th-place Sacramento in the race to avoid the play-in tournament. Injuries

Dyson Daniels set a goal before the season to make the NBA’s All-Defensive Team. Now, with the regular season winding down, his ambitions have grown. Daniels leads the NBA in steals with 3.1 per game, and on Wednesday, he’ll look to continue his defensive dominance as the Atlanta Hawks face the Miami Heat in a crucial rematch. On Monday, Daniels led Atlanta’s defensive effort with seven steals as the Hawks shut down the Heat in a 98-86 victory. His relentless pressure frustrated Miami’s All-Star guard Tyler Herro, who was held to just 11 points on 4-for-19 shooting, including 0-for-9 from beyond the arc. The Hawks have struggled defensively this season, ranking 27th in the league by allowing 119.0 points per

The Colorado Avalanche have stumbled out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break, but they could receive a major boost when they host the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night. Winger Valeri Nichushkin, who has been sidelined since Dec. 31 with a lower-body injury, practiced with the team on Tuesday. While head coach Jared Bednar remained noncommittal, he hinted at a potential return for the Russian forward. Nichushkin’s return would be a significant lift for a Colorado team that has managed just two goals in two games since the break. He has been highly effective in limited action this season, scoring 11 goals and six assists in just 21 games. The Avalanche are currently in the midst of the Western Conference