The NBA has postponed the remaining Game 5s in the wake of the Bucks' protest. Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Thunder-Rockets, Trail Blazers-Lakers games postponed following boycott

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Aug 26, 2020 5:35 PM ET

The Athletic's Shams Charania was first to report that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets chose to boycott Game 5 of the first-round series scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. ET.

CNN's Coy Wire subsequently tweeted that the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers would also sit out Game 5 of that series set to get underway at 9 p.m.:

BREAKING:
CNN has learned that all of tonight’s NBA games have been postponed.
— Coy Wire (@CoyWire) August 26, 2020

Shortly after 5 p.m., the NBA confirmed that all three fixtures were postponed and will be rescheduled.

Earlier in the day, the Milwaukee Bucks elected to remain in their locker room as members of the Orlando Magic warmed up for Game 5 of that series. Eventually, reports confirmed that Milwaukee players decided to boycott.

Orlando did not accept a forfeit and, instead, left the building:

Bucks players are in locker room attempting to reach the attorney general of Wisconsin, Josh Kaul, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. Magic players are leaving the arena soon -- not accepting the Bucks‘ forfeit.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 26, 2020

NBATV reported personnel from those two teams were united in choosing to not play.

These demonstrations occurred in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot at least seven times by police officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday. He survived the incident but is reportedly paralyzed.

On Wednesday morning, stories surfaced that the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics were in discussions about boycotting Game 1 of the second-round series between those franchises scheduled to start on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.

The Detroit Lions canceled Tuesday's team practice to protest the shooting.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

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