The mother looked over at her three boys, all smiling, and finally smiled herself.
It has been a difficult four weeks for KrisDee Ortega. On Nov. 20, her husband of 15 years, Brian Ortega, died after a short and fierce battle with pancreatic cancer.
But Ortega and her boys got a courtside respite on Wednesday night.
After their father’s death, a family friend wrote a letter to the boys’ favorite player, asking Jazz forward Joe Ingles if he might be willing to stop by their basketball practice. Ingles was instead able to invite the Ortegas to watch him play.