MILWAUKEE -- On a sunny weekday afternoon, the Milwaukee Bucks brought the NBA playoffs to an abrupt halt when they declined to take the floor against the Orlando Magic in an act of protest in response to the Sunday police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., just 45 minutes south of the Bucks’ home arena. With all NBA playoff games being played in Orlando, Milwaukee fans had gathered outside Fiserv Forum for a watch party, and about 50 fans remained there an hour after the game had been canceled.
It was a historic moment, the first NBA game — playoffs or otherwise — to be postponed after players refused to take the court as an act of civil disobedience.