It was a good night in Sacramento as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Sacramento Kings 129-113, their first win in three games, and the first after the passing of Kobe Bryant.

The Lakers had lost their match on Friday night against the Portland Trailblazers 127-119, a match that included a pregame tribute to one of the greatest to ever shoot a ball.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis, as usual, led their teammates. Although LeBron did not score many points, making only 15 points, he still managed to make a triple-double, the 92nd of his career. Anthony made 21 points.

All players were on deck to see their team move forward over the tragic incident that still hovers around them. But they have decided not to let it slow them back, instead use it as a serious motivation to win better, embracing the Mamba Mentality. As tributes and condolences continue to pour in, LeBron has said it would only make them heal better and move on from these dark times. Indeed, Bryant’s presence could be felt over the court yesterday as his voice was heard during a timeout as pictures of he and Gianna graced the screen.

The Lakers performed well, as even Rajon Rondo’s presence could be felt as he scored 13 points. Avery Bradley also had a high score of 19, the second after Anthony. Kentavious Cadwell-Pope was not left out of double dights as he made 15 points while Kyle Kuzma made 15 points. Ending the first half with 81-64, the Lakers were still relentless and continued to maintain their gap against the Kings, with three points flying about to pull them ahead as much as possible.

The Kings also had a good play, with De’Aaron Fox and Buddy Hield both scoring above 20 points each. But they could not just contain the fire the Los Angeles team brought with them. After the match, the Kings’ coach commented, “They came out firing,” in reference to the Lakers’ performance.

Written by: Leon Osamor