The Golden State Warriors assemble prior to their game against the Atlanta Hawks at Chase Center in San Francisco paying tribute and watching a video for their late former assistant coach Dejan Milojevic on Wed Jan 24, 2024 (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors beat the visiting Atlanta Hawks 134- 112 Wednesday night at the Chase Center. The Warriors dedicated the game to the memory of coach Dejan Milojevic, who passed away last Wednesday in Salt Lake City.

Deki, as he was known, always had a smile on his face. Milojevic bonded with the players in his third season with the team, who considered him a brother. The team wore warm-up jerseys with the Serbian word for brother, Brate, on the front and Milojevic on the back.

Milojevich’s wife and two children were in the arena. It was extremely emotional. There were tears in the eyes of the Warrior players. Dario Saric and the Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovich, both from Serbia, were heartbroken.

The Warriors showed the memorial service held for Milojevic in Serbia before the start of the game. The Warriors knew they had to play basketball Wednesday night. By playing, the Warriors felt the game’s flow would take their minds off the sorrow of the evening. 

The Warriors’ last game was Tuesday, a week ago, when they lost to Memphis. The Warriors canceled practice on Monday as they still mourned Milojevic’s passing. The Hawks, coached by Quin Snyder, were hoping to get a win, but the Warriors had other thoughts. 

Curry made a three-point shot in the first quarter to start the game. The Hawks scored the next ten points. The Warriors found their offense and put 38 points on the board in the first quarter. The Warrior’s defense held the Hawks to 31 points, and the Warriors finished the quarter with a seven-point lead 38-31. 

The Hawks played well in the second period. Led by Jalen Johnson, Saddiq Bey, Bogdan Bogdanovich, and Patty Mills, the Hawks won the second quarter 37-31. The Warriors finished the first half leading by one point,69-68. The Warriors had four players in double figures. Klay Thompson had 13, Curry had 11, Jonathan Kuminga had 12, and Brandin Podzienski had 10. 

The teams continued to battle in the third quarter. The Hawks kept pace with the Warriors until late in the period. Atlanta’s biggest lead was four points, but The Warriors erased it. The Warriors played defense and finished the third quarter with a nine-point lead, 102-91. Cory Joseph scored five points late in the quarter to help pad the Warriors’ advantage.

The Warriors owned the fourth quarter. Kuninga, in double-figures for the 21st game in a row, helped propel the Warriors to victory. In one sequence, Kuminga made a steal and a dunk, bringing the crowd to its feet. Curry, Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins continued to make shots. The Warriors won by 22 points, 134-112.

Game Notes: The Warriors improved to 19-22 with the win. The Hawks fell to 18-26.

The Warriors had seven players in double-figures. Kuminga tied a Warriors’ club record when he made 11 shots without a miss. He tied the record held by Chris Mullens. Kuminga finished the night with 26 points. Curry had 25 points and eight assists. Curry made five threes. Thompson also made five threes and finished with 24 points. Draymond Green and Wiggins each had 12. Podzienski and Saric each had ten. 

The Hawks had six players in double figures. Dejounte Murray led Atlanta with 21. Jalen Johnson had 21, Saddiq Bey had 18, Bogdanovich had 17, Mills had 13, and Clint Capela had 11. 

The Warriors host the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night at the Chase Center. The game will start at 7 pm.