“Top Chef” host Padma Lakshmi found herself in the thick of the action Friday when the Knicks and Bulls fought at MSG. “She arrived wearing tight jeans, a long-sleeve shirt and a leather jacket, with a male friend,” said a spy. When the game got under way, Knick guard Jason Kidd “dove into the crowd after a loose ball, nearly hitting Padma.” But “he made sure everyone was OK and apologized.” Later, with less than five minutes left in the game and the Knicks behind, centers Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah tangled, prompting the fracas. “They were pushing and shoving and came very close to Padma,” a courtside spy says. “She jumped out of her seat in fear and moved out of the way.” After calm was restored, a smiling Lakshmi watched the rest of the game without incident. She tweeted last week, “Thx to LaLa Anthony for keeping Carmelo happy and healthy . . . so he can keep winning.” Also spotted courtside were Billy Crudup, Patrick Ewing, Anthony Mason, Carl Banks, Spike Lee, Leesa Rowland and Dr. Shawn Sadri.