Bucks boycott playoff games

THE Milwaukee Bucks have boycotted game five of their NBA first round series against Orlando Magic in protest of Jacob Blake’s shooting by police officers in Wisconsin on Sunday.

The Bucks lead the seven-game tie 3-1 but have chosen to remain in their locker room as a result of Blake’s shooting.

Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot in the back seven times by police officers in Kenosha, who were responding to a domestic disturbance. Blake survived the shooting but is now paralysed and unlikely to ever walk again.

According to ESPN senior NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, Milwaukee Bucks players did not come out to the court for their warm-up since there had been prior discussions about a possible boycott.

Some Orlando Magic players were on-court, however, they left with just under four minutes before game time.

Video footage from the venue showed the game balls being put away by officials minutes after the Bucks refusal to exit their locker room.

In the pre-match press conference, a Milwaukee official stated, “It is a great challenge to have an appreciation and a desire to want change. To want something different and better in Kenosha, Milwaukee and Wisconsin and then to go out and play a game.”

Additionally Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors are still contemplating if they should also boycott Wednesday’s match in protest of Blake’s shooting.