Warriors are victorious over Hawks as they pay homage to Dejan Milojevic's life

An emotional night led to a big win in Chase Center.

The Golden State Warriors mourned the loss of their beloved assistant coach Dejan Milojevic at home in Chase Center last night in front of Dub Nation, before celebrating his life with a big win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Golden State’s 134-112 victory over Atlanta was the team’s first feel good win in many moons.

They had lost two games in a row to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Memphis Grizzlies, defeats that made the fanbase question their sanity. The team had been stressing out Dub Nation the whole season with questionable roster decisions, the Draymond Green shenanigans, and a general lackluster quality to their play.

But when Milojevic passed away due to a heart attack, suddenly all that handwringing over wack basketball play melted away to the much more serious recognition of the preciousness of life. The Dubs took seven days off from basketball as they grieved his death, postponing two contests against the Utah Jazz and the Dallas Mavericks.

No matter how many games the Warriors took an L in, it was sobering to reflect on the loss of a human being beloved to his friends, family, and the basketball world.

That’s why the Warriors coming back to their friendly confines in San Francisco to beat down the Hawks reminded us of the whole gosh darn reason we watch the sport. Those two hours of basketball on a nightly help us celebrate the athletic prowess and sparkling creativity of humans, with lessons about team work, discipline, joy, and loss all baked in.

Good plays happen, bad plays occur, and the rollercoaster of emotions over four quarters give us an experience that help us both understand life a little better while providing a modicum of escape from whatever problems we deal with on a daily basis.

I really appreciate y’all for being here in this community. Most things in life are more important than basketball, and in watching the sport we get a beautiful prism to examine those ethereal concepts.

Last night we also got a beautiful view of what Jonathan Kuminga can do, as he went completely perfect 11-of-11 from the field for 25 points. AND he grabbed 9 rebounds, proving that he’s learning from his rebounding woes of last year.

And with that, a new day dawns, and a new game lies on the horizon. The Warriors take on the Kings tonight in Chase Center. Let’s celebrate that, with a bigger, fuller, deeper perspective on wins and losses.