National Basketball Association

Slippery court cancels Magic-Heat game

Published Oct. 22, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

A slippery court installed over an NHL ice surface forced the cancellation of Friday night's preseason finale between the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat.

The Magic couldn't hold a shootaround practice because of the wet conditions Friday morning, prompting Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and guard Vince Carter to question the safety of the court. Workers at the St. Pete Times Forum tried to solve the problem for several more hours.

The NBA released a statement saying the game was canceled because of ''unsafe playing conditions on the arena floor.''

The game will not be rescheduled.

The Tampa Bay Lightning played in the arena Thursday night, and work was performed overnight to cover the ice surface and install the basketball court. When the Magic arrived to practice Friday morning, the court was still wet and slippery — though it was unclear if the moisture was from the ice below or the process of cleaning the court — and the NBA 3-point lines hadn't been installed.

Workers were on the floor with mops and brooms, and fans were brought in to help circulate air and speed up the drying process.

''It's like playing on ice right now, literally,'' Carter said in the morning, watching from the side as a few Magic players did some shooting. After the Magic left, workers returned to the court with mops, both for cleaning and working on slippery areas.