Bucks players boycott Game 5 over police shooting

The Milwaukee Bucks are boycotting Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, a decision that the team reportedly came to together.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirmed that the Bucks have boycotted Game 5 against the Orlando Magic. The team did not take the floor for the 4 p.m. game, and the Magic returned to their locker room shortly before the scheduled tipoff.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Bucks players were “adamant” about boycotting the game. The reason is to protest Sunday’s police shooting in Wisconsin. Jacob Blake, an unarmed black man, was shot in the back in Kenosha by police. Kenosha is roughly 35 miles south of Milwaukee.

Milwaukee and NBA personnel are standing outside of Bucks‘ locker room — where players have been adamant about sitting Game 5 in protest, sources tell me and @joevardon. https://t.co/3IxSnRnldr

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2020

Players had been exploring the possibility of boycotting games. Members of the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors had given thought to boycotting Game 1 of their series, scheduled for Thursday.