The Milwaukee Bucks decided not to play Game 5 of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic, in the wake of the police shooting of 29-year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, earlier this week. Their walkout led to all other playoff teams scheduled to play on Wednesday following suit.
Shortly before the game’s scheduled 4 p.m. ET tipoff, the Magic left the court during warmups as the Bucks had not yet appeared. NBA officials entered the Bucks’ locker room to discuss with the team, ESPN reported, and The Athletic later reported that the team had tried to get in touch with Wisconsin’s attorney general as part of their protest. The team’s front office also backed the walkout, with SVP Alex Lasry tweeting: “Some things are bigger than basketball. The stand taken today by the players and org shows that we’re fed up. Enough is enough.”
The Magic eventually departed the arena as well, and multiple outlets later confirmed that the other remaining games—Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers, and Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder—had been postponed as well for the same reason.
Blake, who is Black, was shot in the back multiple times by a Kenosha police officer on Sunday, igniting protests that have erupted in violence—including one man being arrested for shooting and killing two protesters—across the Wisconsin city.
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