Nuggets: Game 6 against Jazz postponed
The Game 6 matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz has been postponed.
Although the NBA’s players have decided to continue the 2020 NBA Playoffs rather than to continue to protest racism and police brutality with an extended strike, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the league has cancelled Thursday’s playoff games — just as the league cancelled the three playoff games on Wednesday. Ultimately, this means that the Denver Nuggets won’t face the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the Western Conference Playoffs on Thursday.
[Editor’s note: Game 6 will be played on Sunday]
This is far from unexpected, after the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision not to come onto the court for their Game 5 matchup against the Orlando Magic became a major catalyst for the decision of the Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers to refuse to play in Wednesday’s postseason matchups either.
Eventually, TNT analyst Kenny Smith and the NBA’s referees decided to show solidarity with the league’s players, with players also taking to social media to demand changes in the national conscious and justice system.
This was all sparked by a video of law enforcement officials in Kenosha, WI shooting a Black man, Jacob Blake, seven times in the back in front of his children. The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, a league where four-fifths of it’s players are black men sought to find a way to draw attention away from the entertainment they provide as professional athletes and to put the spotlight on the inhumane effects of systematic racism.
That said, this wasn’t just about Blake but about Elijah McClain, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson, Stephon Clark, Botham Jean, Philando Castille and countless other Black men and women who have suffered unjustifiable brutality at the hands of police officers — the people that are supposed to make communities feel safe rather than to fear for their lives.
The Nuggets have long been supportive of efforts to shine a light on systematic racism, with forward Jerami Grant and head coach Michael Malone at the forefront of the efforts. Grant has been involved in peaceful protests while Malone, who is on the league’s committee of coaches who are seeking to provide sustainable solutions to systematic racism, taking measures to meet with local politicians and policemen.
Whenever the league opts to resume games, the players and coaches like Malone will make sure that the conversations that many would like athletes to avoid or that fans try to deflect don’t go away. It’s truly honorable and commendable, considering that professional athletes are some of the most influential public figures.
A Game 6 will not happen between the Nuggets and Jazz until the weekend. However, it’s important to realize that sports aren’t as important as unification and promoting moral and ethical standards.