Golden State Warriors assistant coach Dejan Milojević died Wednesday after suffering a heart attack at a team dinner in Utah. He was 46. The Warriors have postponed two games this week to mourn the loss of their coach.

“We are absolutely devastated by Dejan’s sudden passing,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said in a statement. “This is a shocking and tragic blow for everyone associated with the Warriors and an incredibly difficult time for his family, friends, and all of us who had the incredible pleasure to work with him. In addition to being a terrific basketball coach, Dejan was one of the most positive and beautiful human beings I have ever known, someone who brought joy and light to every single day with his passion and energy. We grieve with and for his wife, Natasa, and their children, Nikola and Masa. Their loss is unfathomable.”

Milojević started coaching for the Warriors in 2021 after playing and coaching Europe for his entire career. He began his professional career in 1994 in his hometown of Belgrade, Serbia, playing for KK Beovuk 72. He played for the team until 1998 and went on to compete throughout Europe until 2009.

From 2012 to 2020, Milojević coached KK Mega Basket in Belgrade. He was best known during this period for coaching Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic before he was drafted in 2014. During his tenure, Milojević coached 11 players who went on to get drafted by NBA teams.

Between 2021 and 2024, Milojević assisted Kerr and became an NBA champion when the Warriors defeated the Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals. Milojević worked closely with Warriors center Kevon Looney throughout his time in Golden State and received credit for helping him develop. The big man was reportedly “particularly crushed” when his coach was hospitalized Tuesday night after collapsing at the team dinner.

The Warriors will not play their scheduled games against the Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks this week while they mourn and recover from this setback. The league has approved these postponements due to the public and the sudden nature of the incident.

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is expected to play in Game 6 of the team’s Western Conference Semifinal series against the Golden State Warriors. Davis suffered a head injury and had to be taken to the locker room in a wheelchair after Warriors center Kevon Looney seemed to accidentally strike him during play.

“Obviously, everyone saw he took a shot to the head, but we just checked in on him, he seems to be doing really good already,” coach Darvin Ham said after the game. “That’s just where he’s at. That’s the status of it right now.”

Davis still remains questionable for the game Friday, but the injury does not seem as serious as it did immediately after the incident. Though Looney’s contact with Davis’ head did not appear intentional or severe, but concern among team personnel seemed to rise when the Lakers big man appeared shaken on the sidelines. Staff brought out a wheelchair to escort him back, but he later walked out of the arena and reportedly has avoided a concussion.

“Obviously, AD is huge to what we do. I believe he’ll play, but if that’s not the case, we’re still a group of NBA basketball players that have played games without him this year,” teammate Austin Reaves said. “You never want to play a big game without a guy like that. But that’s the nature of the game.”

Davis has been a difference-maker for Los Angeles in the playoffs thus far, as the star led the team past the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. Though he has been inconsistent, his better performances have been integral to the Lakers’ progression in the postseason.

With a 3-2 lead over the Warriors in the series, Davis may not have to be at full strength in order to lift his team to the next round. That being said, his setback does open the door further for Golden State, who won Game 5 Wednesday night 121-106 to avoid elimination. A complete 3-1 comeback would mirror LeBron James’ similar comeback in the 2016 Finals when the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Warriors.

The NBA announced that Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green would be suspended one game for stepping on Kings forward Domantas Sabonis in Game 2 of the teams’ first-round Western Conference matchup. With Green out and the Warriors down 2-0 in the series, the team will now turn to Kevon Looney to support stars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson as they look to come back in Game 3.

“Everybody’s locked in, our level of focus has raised, our back’s against the wall so we have to go out there and play with a level of focus we haven’t played with all year,” Looney said after practice Wednesday. “I think we’re ready and I think we’re excited.”

In the first two games of their first-round playoff game, the Warriors have been struck by a wave of historic momentum, as the Kings have enjoyed a pair of rabid home crowds at the Golden 1 Center. Sacramento fans, who have not seen the team make a playoff run in 17 years, have propelled the Kings to two straight wins against the defending NBA champions.

On the floor, Curry and Thompson have been effective while key contributor Andrew Wiggins has done his part as well. But injury and performance concerns surrounding guard Jordan Poole proved to be a setback in Game 2, and Green’s suspensions will only make matters worse for Golden State.

Players like Looney, a six-foot-nine bench player capable of playing center and power forward, will need to provide size in the paint to counter Sabonis while giving the team’s army of shooters space at the perimeter. He will lead a group of players that coach Steve Kerr plans to cycle through in an effort to compete with a weakened roster.

“It’s more than likely going to be a game where we play a lot of people and we just have to put our best foot forward,” Kerr said after practice. “I believe in our guys. I have no doubt we can go out there and get this done.”

While Golden State has struggled to band together on the road, the Kings have performed incredibly well to earn their lead in the series. De’Aaron Fox and Sabonis have been extremely effective around the perimeter and down low, respectively, with Fox turning in a particularly strong 38-point performance in Game 1. Meanwhile, shooting guard Malik Monk has been a revelation for the team, scoring 50 points combined early in the series.

On Wednesday night in Oakland, CA, the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors will take part in Game three of the 2019 NBA Finals.

For the Warriors especially, Game three could end up proving to be a pivotal point of the series for them. Statistically speaking, winning Game three at home would increase the Warriors’ chances of winning the NBA Finals by 15%. In addition to not having Kevin Durant, though, the Warriors may find themselves down two more players as well.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr announced yesterday that Kevon Looney’s season is likely over due to a fracture to his right rib cage. Looney missed the entirety of the second half of Game two, but it was unclear until after the game what the extent of Looney’s injury was. Game 3 in Oakland will air at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.

Another Warrior whose status is unclear heading into Game three is Klay Thompson. Thompson left Game two during the fourth quarter with a mild hamstring strain and was seen limping in the tunnel, congratulating teammates following the win in Toronto. Unlike with Looney, there is optimism within the Warriors camp that Thompson will be fully available to play in Game three. That is big news for an already depleted Warriors team.

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Heading into Game three, the Raptors know that it is do-or-die time for their season. Once the Warriors opened up the second half of Game two on an 18-0 scoring run, they never once looked back.  After Game two, Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said, “third quarter we didn’t play well enough. We missed too many shots. They got out in transition and got a little confidence going. We lost the game there.”  Raptors center Marc Gasol post-game said, “They moved the ball really well and were running freely. Once they run freely, everything opens up for them.” The Raptors will need to get more out rising star Pascal Siakam if they want to win Game three. After a brilliant 32 points and eight rebounds on 14/17 shooting in game one, Siakam put up just 12 points and eight rebounds on 5/18 shooting in Game two.