Rose leaves Knicks' loss to Suns with back spasms

New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose left Tuesday's 113-111 overtime loss against the Phoenix Suns with back spasms, and did not return.

Rose exited the contest after playing just nine minutes and was re-evaluated at halftime.

He has dealt with back problems before, and most recently suffered the same ailment a week ago versus the Miami Heat. He missed the next two games before returning to action Sunday, and raved about his new club's medical staff.

Despite telling reporters over the weekend there's "nothing wrong" with his back, something appears to be wrong.

The Knicks hope it isn't serious, as their starter at the one-spot has helped propel them to third in the East. Rose is averaging 17 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 32 minutes per outing while shooting 46.5 percent from the field.