Two NBA fans did their part to boost the league’s declining ratings.
During the New York Knicks’ blowout win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Thursday night, two women were tackled to the ground by security after they ran onto the court.
A security guard tries to tackle a woman who ran onto the court during the first half of an NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The bizarre incident happened with just under three minutes remaining in the second quarter and was captured by the TNT broadcast.
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Video shows the women running down from the stands.
One is captured before barely stepping foot on the court, while the other made it to the middle of the court before being taken down. The latter was carried off the court by several security guards.
One image shared on social media showed Karl-Anthony Towns, who dropped 32 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in his return to Minnesota, staring one of the women down as he stood over her.
A fan is carried away by security after running onto the court in the second quarter of a game between the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center Dec. 19, 2024, in Minneapolis. (David Berding/Getty Images)
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It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted the women to storm the court, but the incident happened as the league deals with declining viewer ratings.
Ratings for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV were down 25% through Saturday, according to Sports Media Watch.
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla even recently admitted he would “rather watch something else” when asked about the ratings decline.
A woman is detained by security after running onto the court during the first half of an NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
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Mazzulla played his part in Thursday night’s entertainment when, in Chicago, he launched into an angry tirade directed at referees.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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