NBA postpones Wednesday’s play-off games after Bucks boycott | USA News

The NBA has postponed three play-off games scheduled for Wednesday after the Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott Game 5 of their series against Orlando Magic in protest against racial injustice.

The action comes on the heels of the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday.

“We’re tired of the killings and the injustice,” Bucks guard George Hill told The Undefeated of Milwaukee’s decision not to play.

“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,” the NBA said in a statement on Twitter.

 

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

The Bucks and Orlando Magic were scheduled to play the game at 20:00 GMT. The penalty for a forfeit within a play-off series was not immediately clear. The Bucks are 3-1 up against Orlando in their play-off series.

“Some things are bigger than basketball,” said Alex Lasry, the Bucks senior vice president, on Twitter. “The stand taken today by the players and org shows that we’re fed up. Enough is enough. Change needs to happen. I’m incredibly proud of our guys and we stand 100% behind our players ready to assist and bring about real change.”

Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts during the second half of an NBA basketball first-round play-off game against the Orlando Magic on August 24, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Florida [Ashley Landis/Pool/AP Photo]

Protesters have taken to the streets in cities across the US after video footage posted online showed the shooting of 29-year-old Blake. In the footage, Blake appears to be trying to get into his car when a police officer fires several shots at close range into his back.

Some demonstrators in Kenosha have set fires and damaged property and the protests turned deadly in Kenosha late on Tuesday, when two people were killed and another injured in a shooting.

Teenager Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested and charged with murder on Wednesday in connection with the shooting.

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies