Spectator tries to get on floor at NBA game
Philadelphia 76ers center Dwight Howard (39) watches as a fan who ran onto the court is restrained by security personnel during the second half of Game 4 in a first-round NBA basketball playoff series against the Washington Wizards, Monday, May 31, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Testing on staging11
WASHINGTON (AP) — A fan was tackled as he tried to get on the court during an NBA playoff game between the Wizards and 76ers on Monday night, the latest example of unruly behavior as teams increase the number of spectators they’re allowing in the stands during the pandemic.
The players were heading toward Washington’s basket in the third quarter when the action was halted while a member of security held the person down near the baseline.
The fan then was escorted away from the court and play resumed after a brief interruption.
After beginning this season with zero spectators allowed at its arena, Washington has steadily increased the capacity to the point where Monday’s contest — Game 4 against Philadelphia in their first-round series — had an announced attendance more than 10,000.
In Game 2 at Philadelphia, Washington guard Russell Westbrook had popcorn dumped on him as he walked to the locker room after getting injured.
On Sunday in the Celtics-Nets series, Brooklyn guard Kyrie Irving was nearly hit by a bottle thrown from the stands during a game in Boston.
Earlier, in New York, a spectator spit at Atlanta’s Trae Young as he prepared to inbound the ball during the Knicks-Hawks series.
Three fans were banned in Utah after Grizzlies guard Ja Morant said they “just went too far” with him or his family.