Derrick Rose will miss a game for the first time as a Knick because of lower back pain. The point guard underwent an MRI on Wednesday to make sure nothing was structurally wrong.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said he wasn’t sure when they would know the results of the MRI.
“Derrick is still having some lower back issues,” Hornacek said. “He’s not going to play.”
Rose has missed 228 games over the last five seasons and made one of his goals to play in all 82 in his first year as a Knick. The former league MVP, who was acquired in a trade with Chicago this summer, tightened up in the third quarter of Tuesday’s win in Miami and never returned. He said he hoped to play against the Cavaliers on Wednesday night, but he was “going to be cautious for sure.”
Rose is averaging 16.7 points and 4.8 assists this season. Brandon Jennings will replace him in the starting lineup against Cleveland.
Hornacek said Rose came in early, met with the doctors, and he was still sore.
“[He] saw the doctors and [they] did a lot of testing on him,” Hornacek said. “He was still pretty sore so they decided sort of precautionary to make sure before they get going their other treatments.”
Hornacek said the plan for now is for Rose to fly with the Knicks Thursday morning when they head west for five games. They open the trip Friday night in Sacramento.
“He went off to get an MRI just to make sure there is nothing structurally wrong and then he’ll start to continue working with the trainers and try to get him back for the next game,” Hornacek said.
- Newsday