Patrick Swayze made a brave decision Friday, offering himself up for scrutiny at a Los Angeles Lakers game, looking tired yet smiling and visibly enjoying himself.

Swayze and wife Lisa Niemi made a nice public outing this weekend to watch the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs in the second game of the NBA Western Conference playoff series at L.A.’s Staples Center, according to media reports.

The actor’s public appearances have been rare since announcing he was fighting pancreatic cancer in March.

The public was shocked and disheartened upon learning of the 55-year-old’s illness this spring. Initial reports were worrying but fortunately, his personal physician soon set the record straight, explaining that the actor was quite all right and that he was already responding well to treatment.

“Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment,” Dr. George Fisher said in a statement at the time, adding that grim reports regarding survival rates were “absolutely untrue.”

“We are considerably more optimistic,” the physician concluded, and he was soon proven right. In early April, Swayze and his wife released a statement to People magazine, expressing gratitude for the fans’ support and confidence in the treatment.

“We’re thrilled and grateful for the positive response Patrick has shown towards his treatment,” the couple, who have been married since 1975, told People, thanking everyone who had sent “prayers, meditations and good thoughts.”

Fisher added that Swayze was responding well to his treatment at the Stanford University Medical Center, which he would continue.

Swayze first charmed his way into the public’s heart with his portrayal of good-hearted rebel Johnny Castle in 1987’s “Dirty Dancing,” soon followed by the Academy Award nominated “Ghost.”