NBA

Garden problems postpone Knicks-Magic game

The Garden’s “transformation” already has transformed one Knicks game into a postponement.

The roof has not caved in on the Knicks’ season yet, but it did enough to cancel last night’s Garden match vs. the Magic because of asbestos concerns. The mishap occurred when debris and dust fell from the ceiling late Monday night into the arena while a maintenance crew cleaned “asbestos-related materials” from an attic. The cleanup was part of the early stages of the $775 million transformation, according to sources.

It was the first cancellation of a Knicks game at the Garden in 14 years.

The Garden is shut down until further notice, but sources said the Knicks’ next home game — Friday vs. the Wizards — will go on. As a fallback, the Knicks contacted the Prudential Center about playing host to John Wall’s Wizards, but it does not appear they will need it.

A city environmental agency official told The Post the debris that fell in the arena was found to not contain asbestos. The accident, however, raises questions on whether the Knicks’ ongoing Garden “transformation” is safe during the season.

A Garden spokesman said information on its reopening will be known today. One source said the concern looks to be making sure the ceiling is structurally stable so more debris does not fall.

The Knicks began the transformation this past summer with preparatory work not visible to the fans’ eyes. The Garden will be shut the next two or three summers while more major work goes on.

There has been speculation about the Knicks using alternate sites during the renovation, such as the Prudential Center, Nassau Coliseum or Izod Center. Knicks sources said nothing of that nature has been discussed.

The Knicks announced the cancellation in a statement issued at 3 p.m. yesterday.

“Following last night’s Rangers game, during overnight maintenance of Madison Square Garden, which included cleaning asbestos-related materials in the attic above the ceiling, some debris fell into the arena.” The statement added, “Out of an abundance of caution, and after consulting the NBA, we are postponing (the game). We will be working with the city and independent experts, ATC Associates and GCI Environmental Advisory, to evaluate and determine the most appropriate course of action. As the safety of our customers and employees are our top priority, we will not reopen the Garden until we are absolutely assured the arena is safe.”

Because of the accident, workers were unable to change the ice surface yesterday morning to hardwood as it waited for the asbestos tests. The Magic were unable to have their morning shootaround at the Garden, instead using a ballroom at the team hotel. The Magic flew back to Orlando last night.

The NBA had no timetable on when it will release a new date for the game. Ticket-holders were asked to keep them.

The Knicks reconvene today at 11 a.m. for a practice at their Westchester training facility before flying to Chicago. They play the Bulls tomorrow, then, hopefully, the Wizards at home on Friday.

The Knicks are 1-2 and looking for their first Garden win, and the Magic represented a major test. As it turned out, Dwight “Superman” Howard was not stopped from invading the Garden by Kryptonite last night but ceiling dust.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh declined to comment on the postponement.