San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves' NBA game was postponed on Wednesday night due to smoke which crept inside the Mexico City stadium.
The arena was evacuated 45 minutes before the match was scheduled to start when a generator malfunction outside the arena sent smoke pouring into the building.
Mexico City Police said in a statement there was a fire in the generator room on the fourth floor of the modern glass-clad arena that opened in 2012.
"What happened was provoked by a short circuit in the room of generators," the statement said.
While the teams were warming up, lights went out in parts of the arena and smoke began emerged from vents in the upper deck.
Spurs-Timberwolves match postponed
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(01 of12)
NBA players warm up at the smoke-filled Arena Ciudad de Mexico before the match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(02 of12)
A member of the security covered his face inside the smoke covered Arena Ciudad de Mexico before the NBA match between Minnesta Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs, in Mexico city, on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / RONALDO SCHEMIDT (Photo credit should read RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(03 of12)
Members of the NBA, media and players leave the smoke covered Arena Ciudad de Mexico before the NBA match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(04 of12)
Members of the NBA, media and players leave the smoke covered Arena Ciudad de Mexico before the NBA match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(05 of12)
General view inside the Arena Ciudad de Mexico where players were evacuated from smoke before the NBA match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(06 of12)
A member of crew of security of the Arena Ciudad de Mexico leave the pitch for smoke before a match between Timberwolves of Minnesota and San Antonio Spurs, in Mexico city, on December 4 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / RONALDO SCHEMIDT (Photo credit should read RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(07 of12)
Cheerlaeders of NBA leave the smoke-filled Arena Ciudad de Mexico before the match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(08 of12)
General view inside the Arena Ciudad de Mexico where players were evacuated from smoke before the NBA match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(09 of12)
Members of the NBA, media and players leave the smoke covered Arena Ciudad de Mexico before the NBA match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(10 of12)
Members of the NBA, media and players leave the smoke covered Arena Ciudad de Mexico before the NBA match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / RONALDO SCHEMIDT (Photo credit should read RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(11 of12)
NBA players and staff leave the Arena Ciudad de Mexico before the match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
BKN-MEXICO-TIMBERWOLVES-SPURS(12 of12)
A general view of smoke-filled Arena Ciudad de Mexico before the NBA match between Minnesota Timberwolves and San Antonio Spurs in Mexico City on December 4, 2013. NBA stars were evacuated from a Mexico City arena Wednesday after a transformer burned and spread smoke on the court before a game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves. Players abandoned their warm-up and exited the 22,000-capacity facility about an hour before tip-off, an AFP photographer said, adding that the stands were empty at the time. AFP PHOTO / ALFREDO ESTRELLA (Photo credit should read ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:Getty Images)
"I thought they were practicing fireworks, Spurs TV analyst Sean Elliot said. "A lot of teams do that before introductions. But then the smoke just kept creeping and it wasn't white smoke. It was like a brown dark smoke and it started taking over the whole court. It was surprising."
Fans had not yet been allowed into the arena for the NBA's first regular-season game in the country since Houston and Dallas played in Mexico City on Dec. 6, 1997, when the evacuation was ordered. The teams went to their buses, still wearing their practice gear.