During the Knicks-Timberwolves game, security guards knock two women to the ground after they ran onto the field

Two NBA fans did their part to boost the league’s declining ratings.

During the New York Knicks During Thursday night’s spectacular win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, two women were tackled to the ground by security guards after running onto the field.

A security guard attempts to tackle a woman who ran onto the court during the first half of an NBA game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knicks on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

The bizarre incident occurred with just under three minutes left in the second quarter and was captured by the TNT broadcast.

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The video shows the women running down from the stands.

One is captured before barely setting foot on the field, while the other makes it to the middle of the field before being shot down. The latter was carried off the pitch by several security guards.

A picture shared on social media showed Karl-Anthony Towns dropping 32 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in his return to Minnesota, He stared at one of the women as he stood over her.

A fan is dragged away by security guards after running onto the field during the second quarter of a game between the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center on December 19, 2024 in Minneapolis. (David Berding/Getty Images)

The Celtics head coach admits he would “prefer to look at something else” as NBA ratings decline

It wasn’t immediately clear what prompted the women to storm the field, but the incident came as the league struggled with declining 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 that he would “prefer to 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 the New York Knicks on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

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Mazzulla added his part to the entertainment Thursday night when he launched into an angry tirade against the referees in Chicago.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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