SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers navigated the first 19 games of the season without star Kobe Bryant well enough to welcome him back with a winning record. Jodie Meeks made two huge 3-pointers in the final minutes to finish with 19 points, lifting the Lakers past the Sacramento Kings 106-100 Friday night in whats expected to be their last game before Bryant returns. "You know who he is, hes Kobe Bryant. But hes not going to be able to do it by himself," said Lakers centre Jordan Hill, who had seven points and nine rebounds. "Weve got to go out there and fight for him and carry him." So far this season, they have. Pau Gasol had 19 points and seven rebounds, and Steve Blake added 13 points and 10 assists for the Lakers (10-9), who held the Kings scoreless for nearly 3 1/2 minutes until Ben McLemores meaningless 3-pointer with 6.9 seconds remaining. The Lakers are counting on an even bigger boost when he returns against Toronto on Sunday, nearly eight months since undergoing surgery on his torn left Achilles tendon. "We knew at the beginning of the season we were going to have to do it by committee," said Meeks, who shot 5 of 6 from beyond the arc. "We dont have any superstars. Our superstar is coming back Sunday, but 19 games we didnt, so we had to share the ball." DeMarcus Cousins and McLemore each scored 20 points, and Isaiah Thomas added 14 points and a season-high nine assists as Sacramento (4-13) lost its sixth straight game. The Lakers outshot the Kings 47.7 to 43 per cent but were outrebounded 51-36. Los Angeles forced 17 turnovers -- and committed only 12 -- to seize control in the final minutes. The Lakers outscored the Kings 25-13 in the fourth quarter. "The one major horror that jumps out at me with our team is discipline," first-year Kings coach Michael Malone said. "And right now, we have none." After going down by 10 points late in the third quarter, Lakers coach Mike DAntoni called a timeout. He waved his arms in the air and shouted at his players to improve defensively. "When Im out of my mind, I just go with it," DAntoni said. "I wanted to kill somebody at that point. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesnt." Los Angeles responded by scoring 11 straight, going ahead 88-87 on Blakes 3 early in the fourth. Meeks made another from long range before Gasols jumper gave the Lakers a 98-97 lead late. Meeks followed with his final 3-pointer to extend the Lakers lead with 1:09 to play. Wesley Johnson stole the ball from McLemore on the next possession. Then Nick Young hit a 20-foot jumper to send most of the announced sellout crowd of 17,317 -- most wearing white T-shirts as part of Sacramentos "white out" -- to the exits. "This is just ugly," Kings point guard Greivis Vasquez said. "Theres no other name. Theres no other adjective I could give to describe this." For the Lakers, though, the comeback capped a day of good news. Bryant announced his return in a dramatic video posted on his Facebook page in the afternoon. He didnt make the trip to Sacramento, and Los Angeles had only nine healthy players -- and one point guard -- after injuries to Steve Nash (back and hamstring), Jordan Farmar (left hamstring tear) and Chris Kaman (back spasms). Robert Sacre, who started at centre for the first time this season in place of Hill, helped the Lakers go ahead by eight points early in the first quarter. Thomas ignited the Kings with 14 points and seven assists in the first half as they took a 51-43 lead late in the second quarter. Cousins free throws with 3:35 remaining in the fourth gave Sacramento a 97-93 lead. But the Lakers held the Kings scoreless until McLemores 3-pointer in the closing seconds, showing the kind of defensive effort DAntoni hopes to get when Bryant returns. "We have to compete like we did tonight and understand that theres going to be some turbulence ahead," DAntoni said. "Just put your seatbelt on and well get through it." NOTES: A moment of silence was held before the game for Nelson Mandela, the former South African president and anti-apartheid icon who died Thursday at age 95. ... Nash could return to the lineup next week, DAntoni said. ... The Kings assigned C Hamady Ndiaye to the Reno Bighorns, the teams NBA Development League affiliate. Bobby Tolan Cardinals Jersey . The alleged sexual assault is believed to have happened over the weekend of Feb. 1, when the hockey team was in Thunder Bay for two games against Lakehead University. The criminal investigation branch of the Thunder Bay Police Service is leading the investigation with help from Ottawa police. Dominic Leone Jersey . -- The Kelowna Rockets earned their 16th straight win with a 7-2 rout of the Portland Winterhawks in Western Hockey League action Thursday. https://www.cheapcardinalsonline.com/164...-cardinals.html. The actual winners on transfer deadline day are those clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City who were well prepared and managed to get their main incoming business done well ahead of the transfer window closing. Tottenham were able to add seven players by spending over 100 million pounds and also ensured maximum return for the Gareth Bale transfer to Real Madrid by managing the move superbly. Rogers Hornsby Cardinals Jersey . According to a report from the Hamilton Spectator, Infrastructure Ontario has informed the City of Hamilton and the Tiger-Cats the stadium may not be ready by the June 30 deadline. Red Schoendienst Jersey .Currently no, Tatjana Haenni, FIFAs deputy director of the competitions division and head of womens competitions, said Tuesday in an interview from Ottawa.SAYREVILLE, N.J. - The New Jersey high school football program that had its season cancelled amid hazing and sexual assault allegations will return.Sayreville School Superintendent Rick Labbe announced Tuesday night that the program would resume at Sayreville High School for the 2015 season, the Home News Tribune (http://mycj.co/1yzZHiY ) reported.I believe very strongly after the last several months that football is a very important part of our athletic programs and our community and therefore, in consultation with our Board of Education, I am pleased to announce to you this evening that we will have a 2015 football season, Labbe said.The superintendent cancelled the 2014 season on Oct. 5, days before seven players were accused of hazing and sexually assaulting four teammates inside thhe locker room.dddddddddddd The boys will be tried in juvenile court.None of the coaches have been charged.The football teams longtime head coach remains suspended indefinitely with pay from his tenured physical education teaching position at the high school. George Najjar compiled a 165-54 record during 20 seasons at Sayreville, including going 21-13 in post-season play.Four assistants were suspended with pay from their tenured teaching positions on Oct. 16, but all were reinstated on Nov. 18.Meanwhile, the school board accepted the resignation of athletics director John Kohutanycz, effective June 30.School officials never said why Kohutanycz was suspended with pay on Dec. 17.___Information from: Home News Tribune (East Brunswick, N.J.) , http://www.mycentraljersey.com ' ' '