The Lynx buckled down after that with an 11-0 run of their own and were well on their way to a 2-0 record on the young season, both wins coming at Seattle’s expense.

But Kobe wasn’t about excuses, so I buckled down and shot some more.

He escaped the gangs by transferring to Birmingham High for his senior year and buckled down both in the classroom and on the field.

The gap was two points when Jewell Loyd made two free throws with 1:11 left in the third quarter, but Las Vegas buckled down and opened up a 20-point lead six minutes later.

“In good years, we buckled down so that in tough years this one, we could meet our needs,” Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins said.