Celtics, Raptors won't play Thursday as NBA player walkout continues

The Celtics and Raptors took part in a player meeting on Wednesday night involving all 13 teams remaining in the NBA playoff bubble in Orlando. The meeting occurred in the wake of the Bucks electing not to take the floor ahead of their Game 5 matchup with the Magic on Wednesday afternoon to protest the shooting of Jacob Blake by police in Wisconsin earlier this week.

The surprise decision by the Bucks to not play ultimately led to all three games across the NBA being postponed on Wednesday after players voted not to play those games. Player discussions will continue on Thursday morning about whether teams will want to continue the postseason or not but multiple sources tell BSJ that no games will be played on Thursday at a minimum as more player discussions are held. The Celtics and Raptors were scheduled to open Game 1 of the series on Thursday evening.

The Bucks' decision not to take the floor led to several other teams following suit in other sports. Three MLB games were postponed after teams voted not to play and all WNBA and MLS games were postponed as well on Wednesday. Bucks players released a lengthy statement on Wednesday after speaking for several hours in their locker room following their Game 5 walkout.

“The past four months have shed a light on the ongoing racial injustices facing our African American communities. Citizens around the country have used their voices and platforms to speak out against these wrongdoings.

“Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we’ve seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protestors. Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball.

“When we take the court and represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin, we are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each other accountable. We hold ourselves to that standard, and in this moment, we are demanding the same from our lawmakers and law enforcement.

“We are calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand the officers be held accountable. For this to occur, it is imperative for the Wisconsin State Legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality and criminal justice reform. We encourage all citizens to educate themselves, take peaceful and responsible action, and remember to vote on Nov. 3.”

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com reported that while some players were upset with the Bucks for their solo protest instead of planning it out with other teams ahead of time, Jaylen Brown came to the defense of the Bucks and said he had no issue with the spontaneous decision.

Shams Charania of Stadium also was first to report that the Lakers and Clippers were the only two teams in a non-binding poll to vote against continuing the playoffs on Wednesday night. That development could help place added pressure on the NBA Board of Governors to take action that the players want to be addressed further involving racial injustice during their emergency meeting at 11 a.m. on Thursday.