At the 5:02 mark in the fourth quarter at Barclays Center, Cavs star Donovan Mitchell experienced a surprising and unsettling moment. As the Cavaliers were hemorrhaging a double-digit lead to Egor Demin and the surging Brooklyn Nets, a fan in a purple hoodie sprinted onto the floor and darted directly toward the NBA All-Star guard before the Cavaliers could inbound the ball.
Mitchell took a step back, clearly confused, as the person aggressively took a photo on his phone. Four security members quickly intervened and ragdolled the fan off the court.
“Oh s***,” Mitchell said postgame about his initial reaction. “I took a few steps back and then I repositioned my feet, and I was ready to handle whatever was necessary. The kid wanted a selfie. I know he’s probably doing some jail time, but when he gets out, he’s probably got a great selfie. Sorry, I don’t think that’s a joke.”
It was a scary moment that was unexpected, especially given the focus that should have been on highlights like Jarrett Allen dunking on every Nets player in his way.
“At first, I was confused, and I saw him running towards Don and took a step towards him,” Allen added from his vantage point. “But we have great security in the Barclays Center. Shout out to them. They took care of it. When he left the court, his feet didn’t touch the ground. They carried him out of the building.”
Despite being heated about the Cavaliers allowing the Nets to cut a 20-point lead down to a single possession, Mitchell said the odd incident didn’t affect his focus.
“I can’t say it did, to be honest,” Mitchell explained. “I was pretty pissed off we blew the lead. It was just like, ‘Alright, it happened,’ and move on. My mind was there, and then I saw somebody running, so I didn’t really have time to process it all. Glad they handled it. Security handled it.”
Nets coach Jacque Atkinson admitted he didn’t see the incident unfold but found it unusual. “I was kind of like, strange. You never see that in an NBA game. I think you see it in European soccer, right? When a fan runs out there. Bizarre. Bizarre.”
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-reacts-to-crazed-fan-storming-court-in-brooklyn