MIAMI (AFP) – The Milwaukee Bucks will try to wrap up their NBA first-round series against Orlando on Saturday when the playoffs resume after a Bucks boycott that rocked the league and rippled through the rest of US sport.
The league had been idle in its coronavirus quarantine bubble in Orlando since Wednesday, when the Bucks refused to take the court for game five of their best-of-seven series against the Magic in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The Magic seconded their move and all games were cancelled for three days as NBA players discussed whether to play on and hammered out plans with the league and its owners to tackle issues of racial injustice and police reform.
A day earlier the Bucks’ reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo was named Defensive Player of the year.
On Monday the Greek superstar scored 31 points and Khris Middleton added 18 of his 21 in the fourth quarter as the Bucks beat the Magic 121-106 to take a 3-1 series lead.
Saturday will also see the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on the Houston Rockets in a Western Conference series tied at 2-2, while the LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will try to polish off the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Western Conference leading Lakers took a 3-1 series lead on Monday with a 135-115 victory over the Blazers, who saw star Damian Lillard exit in the third quarter with a sprained right knee.
On Sunday, the second round begins with the reigning champion Toronto Raptors taking on the Boston Celtics in game one of their Eastern Conference tussle.
That’s followed by two Western Conference first-round games.
The Los Angeles Clippers, up 3-2 on Dallas, will try to close out the Mavericks, while the Utah Jazz will try to finish off the Denver Nuggets in game six of their series.
