Derrick Rose fined, but not suspended by Knicks for missing game without permission

The New York Knicks fined, but will not suspend starting point guard Derrick Rose for missing the team’s Monday night matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans without explaining his absence to the team. He is expected to be in uniform for the Knicks’ Wednesday game against Philadelphia, the team announced.

Rose told reporters on Tuesday he flew to his hometown of Chicago on Monday to be with his mother. He flew back to New York City on Tuesday morning.

“That was a family issue. For one, it had nothing to do with the team or basketball,” he said. “But that’s the first time I ever felt like that emotionally, and I had to be with my family.”

When asked why he didn’t call the Knicks beforehand, Rose replied: “I just had to get to my family. I talked to them afterwards. Everybody’s on the same page now. But they understood right away after I explained myself to them.”

Rose confirmed he spoke to team officials late Monday night and early Tuesday morning.

Asked if he felt the responsibility to let the team know beforehand, Rose said: “Yeah, but things happen. And of course, that’s not the person that I am. I explained to my teammates I didn’t want any distractions, especially with what we have going on right now. And I apologized to them earlier, letting them know that it would never happen again.

“This wasn’t me. This never happened to me before, and I explained that to the team and to the front office.”

New York’s starting point guard missed the Knicks’ Monday 110-96 loss to the Pelicans without permission, failing to give the team advance notice that he would return to his hometown of Chicago.

Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek chose not to play Rose in the fourth quarters of the two games — at Milwaukee and at Indiana — leading up to his no-show.

Hornacek told reporters on Tuesday he wished Rose would have contacted the team, but understood because it was a family issue.