New York Knicks starting point guard Derrick Rose went mysteriously absent from the team on their Monday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans without permission but later reached team officials about the reason of his deed and his whereabouts.

According to a published report of the ESPN, the 2011 NBA Most Valuable Player told Knicks that he had a family situation that he had to attend to and had returned to his hometown in Chicago. The 28-year-old Rose missed their game against the Pelicans in which the Jeff Hornacek-headed ballclub lost110-96 at the Madison Square Garden.

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"Everything will become clear later on," the 53-year-old Hornacek, who joined the Knicks as the team's head coach in June, said. "You know, we want to respect whatever he's going through. We're just not going to comment on it."

The Knicks' bench boss said that the team expected Rose back and that it was "just a matter of time."

According to The Score, Knicks center Joakim Noah, who is Rose's longtime friend dating back to their years with the Chicago Bulls, was the first to establish contact with the three-time NBA All-Star through a phone call. He asserted that the veteran point guard was "OK" after Monday's match but did not put flesh on the bones as to what else was said.

Rose, who is in his first years with the Knicks, was acquired in a trade with the Bulls over the offseason. He is averaging 17.3 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.9 rebounds in 33 official games for the 1946-founded basketball club. The 2008 NBA Draft No. 1 pick missed four games earlier in the season after suffering back spasms but has been relatively healthy outside of the back ailments.

The Knicks are currently ranked 11th in the 15-team Eastern Conference having a 17-21 win-loss record. They have lost eight of their last 10 matches played and now on a two-game losing skid. 

Tagsderrick rose, NBA, new york knicks, jeff hornacek, Joakim Noah