Officials stand beside an empty court before the scheduled start of an NBA basketball first round playoff game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Orlando Magic, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, Pool)
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has postponed three playoff games scheduled for Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the floor in protest of the Jacob Blake shooting.
The NBA broke the news on its Twitter page in the aftermath of events that trailed the shooting of Blake, a 29-year-old African-American, by Kenosha police on Sunday.
The NBA and the NBPA today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games – MIL-ORL, HOU-OKC and LAL-POR have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled.
— NBA (@NBA) August 26, 2020
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“The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today’s three games – Bucks vs. Magic, Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers – have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled,” the association wrote.
The incident took place in Kenosha, Wisconsin, 40 miles from Milwaukee, and has sparked non-stop riots and protests.
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The Milwaukee Bucks protested the shooting by deciding not to take to court for their game 5 of the playoff series against Orlando Magic.
Full statement from the Milwaukee Bucks: pic.twitter.com/jjGEyVcCmB
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 26, 2020
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The Magics also supported the Bucks by not agreeing to a forfeit win with the league body.
Other players and teams including Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder franchises protested the shooting and prevailed on the NBA to postpone three games.
Ben Crump, Blake’s family’s attorney, called the boycott “a powerful statement” while also commending athletes who speak “truth to power and motivate the positive change we want to see in the world.”
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