Warriors return to game action, beating Hawks 134-112

Overwhelmed by emotions just moments before tip-off, as they celebrated the assistant coach they deeply missed, several players on Steve Kerr’s team struggled to compose themselves. Nevertheless, Kerr’s message remained clear: “Try to lose yourself in the game.”

In their first game back after the recent passing of assistant coach Dejan Milojević, the Golden State Warriors emerged victorious, defeating the Atlanta Hawks 134-112. Despite the emotional challenges, Stephen Curry contributed 25 points and eight assists, while Klay Thompson added 24. The Splash Brothers, playing for their beloved “brate” (Serbian for brother), honored Milojević, who affectionately used the term for all Warriors.

In a poignant pregame ceremony, both teams stood united on one sideline, listening to the Serbian national anthem played in Milojević’s honor. Each Warrior player placed an additional jersey, worn during warmups and bearing Milojević’s name, on one of the coaching chairs. The chairs also featured a special black T-shirt with the word “BRATE” draped over the seat.

Jonathan Kuminga stood out, making all 11 of his shots and scoring 25 points, matching the franchise record set by Hall of Famer Chris Mullin for most shots made without a miss. Seven Warriors scored in double figures, showcasing a team effort.

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Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 17 points with four 3-pointers, while Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 23 points in their third consecutive loss.

The Warriors experienced an unusual eight-day gap between games, marking the longest stretch without playing during the season in franchise history. The last team with a similar break in the regular season, not including All-Star breaks or the pandemic-related stoppage in March 2020, was the 2020-21 Spurs, who had nine days off from Feb. 14-24, 2021, according to Elias.