GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Derrick Rose?rejoined the New York Knicks on Saturday, eager to put his civil trial behind him and get back to playing basketball.Rose was with the team for the first time since Oct. 4, when he left for his trial in Los Angeles after a preseason game in Houston.Rose and two friends were found not liable in a civil lawsuit that accused them of gang-raping Roses ex-girlfriend when she was incapacitated from drugs or alcohol. Rose and his friends were being sued for $21.5 million.The issue was a huge issue. I took it very serious, Rose said after Saturdays practice. Im a grown man. I put myself in this situation and I had to get myself out. I was focused the entire time.Out of all of this, the only thing that really hurt me was missing my sons birthday party, missing his birthday. Those were the two things that I was worried about the most. Not being there with my family ... it hurt. And being there for my son. That was the only thing.Rose was asked whether he felt vindicated after maintaining his innocence.A little bit, he said. But at the same time, there was another person that was involved in this. So, if anything, Ive just been praying for myself and praying for her because the issue is very big in the States and everywhere. So just praying for everyone that was involved and knowing that all this is out of my control.The only thing I could work on is being a better person, being a better dad, brother, cousin, uncle. Being the best I could be so I could help others.Saying it felt like heaven to be back on the basketball court, Rose enters his first season with the Knicks motivated and excited about a fresh start, both on and off the court.It would change anyone, Rose said of the civil lawsuit. But I spoke on it and this is all behind me now. The only thing I can focus on is worrying about the future. I love being around my teammates. I love the way that we are coming together as a team.Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said Rose looked good physically and did not have trouble with the teams schemes.He did his homework, said Hornacek, who sent Rose plays to study during the two-week trial and went over some of the offense with his point guard Friday.Hornacek said well find out, when asked whether Rose can play starters minutes during Tuesdays season opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers.He looks in pretty good shape, Hornacek said. It may be a situation where we put him in. If he looks like hes tired, well get him out and then get him back quickly. Maybe the rotation is a little different as he first comes back.Rose says hes refocused after being traded from Chicago this summer. The former MVP is entering the final year of his contract and says he wants to prove he is healthy after having three knee surgeries.Im very confident, man, Rose said. I really believe this why Im here, to hoop. I still have a lot of confidence in my ability. The confidence never left. If anything [the trial] made me focus a little more, like having time to myself in the gym and just working on things that I think I need to work on.We didnt make the playoffs last year. Im still chasing something right now. I just want to hoop and just let my game speak for itself. CJ Wilson Jersey Large . -- Hunter Smith scored the winner with just 12 seconds remaining in the third period as the Oshawa Generals edged the host Sarnia Sting 5-4 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Darin Erstad Jersey Large . Pedro scored from a pass by Lionel Messi in the 33rd minute and added two more goals in the 47th and 72nd after Valdes saved his second penalty in four days following his stop in Wednesdays 4-0 over Ajax in the Champions League. http://www.customangelsjersey.com/ . -- Peyton Manning will have all of his wide receivers available for the first time in a month when the Denver Broncos begin their playoff run Jan. Nolan Ryan Jersey Large .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Custom Rod Carew Jersey . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. ARLINGTON, Texas -- Rougned Odor followed his game-ending shot Tuesday night with two more homers Wednesday, and the Texas Rangers completed a sweep of the Seattle Mariners.New teammate Carlos Gomez had the blast that mattered most in finishing off the three-game set -- a grand slam off Felix Hernandez that sent the Rangers on their way to a 14-1 romp over the Mariners.After sinking Seattle to third in the AL West, the division-leading Rangers get three at home against second-place Houston, which comes in a lot hotter than the Mariners but still 8 1/2 games back.So far the body of work speaks for itself, Texas manager Jeff Banister said. We still have some work to do.Odor tied a career high with five RBI and Adrian Beltre and Ryan Rua also homered as the Rangers tied their season high with five homers. Texas (80-54) moved a season-high 26 games over .500 with a fifth straight win and gave Seattle its fifth loss in a row.The Mariners went 1-6 on a trip that started at the Chicago White Sox after finishing a homestand with two straight losses to the Yankees.We need to pick it up, no doubt, manager Scott Servais said. Guys are down a little bit and rightfully so.The Rangers matched the 1999 and 2012 Texas teams as the fastest to reach 80 wins.Odor had a two-run shot for a 10-0 lead in the seventh and a three-run homer in the eighth, and leads the team with 27 home runs. On Tuesday night, his two-run homer in the ninth gave Texas an 8-7 win.Weve been playing well, Odor said. Were just going to try to do the same thing the next game.Martin Perez (9-10) pitched six shutout innings despite giving up seven hits and three walks.Hernandez (9-5) matched a season high by allowing six runs in his shortest outing, coming out after four innings in his first loss since May 27.Beltres 25th homer of the season was a two-run shot in the fifth.GOMEZ SLAMGomez, who will face his former tteam for the first time this weekend less than a month after the Astros released him, hit a soaring fly ball about a dozen rows above the 14-foot wall in left field for his second grand slam this season and a 6-0 lead in the fourth.dddddddddddd The other slam also was against Seattle on July 17 when he was still with Astros.Gomez has three hits in two games since ending a 0-for-18 skid following a homer in his first at-bat for Texas. He has seven homers this season.I think the ability to come into our mix on this team and not be asked to be the man, the main player, has relaxed him a little bit and allowed him to get going, Banister said.CAMINERO EJECTIONSeattle reliever Arquimedes Caminero was ejected after hitting Texas Elvis Andrus with a pitch in the seventh. Caminero hit Andrus in the ribs with a high 98 mph fastball two batters after allowing Odors two-run homer. In the second inning, Andrus ran into Mariners first baseman Dae-Ho Lee while running out a groundball. Andrus tried to apologize, but Lee didnt look pleased.Caminero was ejected May 24 while with Pittsburgh after hitting two Arizona batters in the head.TRAINERS ROOMMariners: DH Nelson Cruz missed his second straight game with a nerve issue in his left hand that affects his grip on the bat. Servais said he was responding to medication and should be in the lineup Friday against the Los Angeles Angels. The Mariners are off Thursday. ... Servais said he expects LHP James Paxton to make his next start after he ripped a fingernail Tuesday.UP NEXTBoth teams are off Thursday. Seattle LHP Ariel Miranda (1-1, 4.98 ERA) will open a home series against the Angels on Friday night. Texas RHP A.J. Griffin (6-3, 4.39) gets the opener of a home series against Houston, which has won 10 of 12. ' ' '