two nba fan It played a role in boosting the league's sluggish ratings.
meanwhile, new york knicks During Thursday night's blowout win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, two women ran onto the court and were tackled to the ground by a security guard.
A security guard attempts to tackle a woman who ran onto the court during the first half of the NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knicks, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abby Parr)
The bizarre incident occurred with just under three minutes left in the second quarter and was captured on TNT.
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The video shows women running down from the stands.
One was caught just before stepping onto the court, and the other made it to the middle of the court before being taken down. The latter was removed from the court by several security guards.
One image shared on social media showed Karl-Anthony Towns dropping 32 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in his return. to Minnesota, He stood over her, staring at one of the women.
A fan is removed by security after running onto the court during the second quarter of the New York Knicks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves game at Target Center in Minneapolis, Dec. 19, 2024. (David Berding/Getty Images)
Celtics head coach admits “I'd rather look elsewhere'' amid declining NBA ratings
It was not immediately clear what prompted the women to storm the courtroom, but the incident comes as the league grapples with declining viewership.
Ratings for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV were down 25% through Saturday, according to Sports Media Watch.
“I'd rather look at something else,” Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula recently admitted when asked about the ratings decline.
A woman is detained by security after running onto the court during the first half of the NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abby Parr)
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Mazzula played a role in Thursday night's entertainment, unleashing an angry rant at the referee in Chicago.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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