Knicks' Derrick Rose trying to catch up after trial 'distraction'

Derrick Rose won the civil trial, the jury ruling in his favor Wednesday and clearing him of all charges of sexual assault.

But winning remains a hard way to describe what he went through.

Much of the case, a Jane Doe accuser seeking a $21.5 million award, was a he-said, she-said affair with no dispute over whether he and two friends had gone to her apartment and had sex with her. But in a courtroom, in newspapers and on television, the salacious details were opened up for all to see.

Now that the trial is over, the next step is cleaning up the fallout. Rose missed more than two weeks of practice and games, leaving the Knicks after just one practice and one preseason game after the four-day minicamp. How far that sets back the team won’t be known until he gets on the floor and makes what will be his debut on opening night Tuesday in Cleveland.

Knicks' Derrick Rose cleared of all counts in rape trial

The Knicks are in Brooklyn tonight for their final exhibition game, but coach Jeff Hornacek said Rose almost certainly would not play, instead joining the team Friday.

Off the court, most important to Rose was getting his name back. He insisted repeatedly that he would not settle the case because he believed he was completely innocent. He got that and kept his money. Adidas, his main sponsor, issued a statement shortly after the trial concluded, announcing, “Our partnership with Derrick remains unchanged.” He will surely hear some catcalls in opposing arenas.

“It’s a blessing to have him come back,” Joakim Noah, who teamed with Rose in Chicago and now in New York, told reporters Wednesday. “I don’t even know what to say. It’s great that the truth came out. But at the same time we didn’t have our point guard for all of preseason. All of this because of a girl who was trying to make money off my friend. It’s wack.

“That’s not an easy situation for anybody. (Rose) is a tough kid. But it’s definitely a distraction. He’s not here,” Noah said. “It’s a distraction not just for him but the whole team. But it’s not his fault. It’s just some girl who went out of her way to make money off of him.”

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