Rose hopes MSG shows him 'nothing but love' after going AWOL

Barring any last-minute setbacks, Derrick Rose will be in attendance at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

Rose caused an uproar when he went AWOL ahead of Monday's loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, but he hopes the New York Knicks faithful will welcome him back with open arms before Thursday's battle with the Chicago Bulls.

"I hope it's nothing but love. They just want to see you play hard here and win games," Rose told reporters before warmups, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

The guard also reiterated that his absence was family-related, but said the issue is now behind him.

"I got over it right when I was with my family," Rose said.

The Knicks have struggled mightily of late, dropping nine of their last 10 to slip out of the playoff picture. Monday's debacle featured Rose going missing, Carmelo Anthony getting tossed for arguing with officials, and Kyle O'Quinn delivering a cheap shot toward Anthony Davis.

They followed that by blowing a 10-point lead in the last two minutes to the Philadelphia 76ers on a buzzer-beater by unheralded guard T.J. McConnell.

Rose and the Knicks will have a chance for reprieve Thursday. The Bulls are in a tailspin of their own, and will be without superstar Jimmy Butler. A win could go a long way toward mending fences with the tortured Garden hopeful.