NBA Players Agree To Resume Playoffs

ORLANDO, FL — National Basketball Association players have agreed to continue the playoffs this weekend after a Milwaukee Bucks-led boycott led to the postponement of all three games that were on the slate for Wednesday, according to NBA reporters on Twitter.

Bucks players did not take the floor for their Wednesday Game Five against the Orlando Magic as a response to the police-involved shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The league then postponed that game, as well as two others.

Later in the day, baseball's Mets and Marlins began their scheduled game, then both teams emptied from their dugouts, removed their caps and bowed their heads. The Mets players in the field then trotted off and, joined by the Marlins, returned to their dugouts leaving only a Black Lives Matter tee-shirt on home plate. The game was canceled.

The NHL also postponed its playoff games that had been scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

Regarding the NBA, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said all games scheduled for Thursday will likely be postponed as well, but as of noon Eastern Time talks were underway on when teams will resume play.

The NBA's players have decided to resume the playoffs, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 27, 2020

Shams Charania, a reporter for The Athletic, said that while play will likely start up again this weekend, players "want to find new and improved ways to make social justice statements."

The NBA confirmed no games would be played Thursday in a statement issued that afternoon.

"NBA playoff games for today will not be played as scheduled," said Mike Bass, Executive Vice President. "We are hopeful to resume games either Friday or Saturday. There is a video conference call meeting scheduled later this afternoon between a group of NBA players and team governors, representing the 13 teams in Orlando, along with representatives from the National Basketball Players Association and the league office and NBA Labor Relations Committee Chairman Michael Jordan, to discuss next steps."

The NBA was joined by Major League Baseball, the Women's National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer in seeing games called off Wednesday as a response to the shooting. Three baseball games, three WNBA playoff games and all MLS contests scheduled for the day were postponed.

A number of National Football League teams have called off their Thursday practices in the wake of the Blake shooting. The Indianapolis Colts, in a team statement, said that instead of practicing the team "will use the day to discuss and work toward making a lasting social impact and inspiring change in our communities."

The Baltimore Ravens took it a step further, calling for the arrest of both the officer who shot Blake and the Louisville police officers involved in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in March in addition to other reforms.

The Mets and Marlins held a moment of silence, then left the field.

The only thing that remained was a Black Lives Matter shirt at home plate. pic.twitter.com/mv8lLs1CcW
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 27, 2020