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Hornacek: Knicks would 'quit and call it a year' if they lost to Pacers

Erik Williams / USA Today Sports

To say the New York Knicks' season has been tumultuous would be a massive understatement. With management questions, on-court chemistry trouble, off-court disappearances, and countless other problems, the Knicks have had a rough go of it.

Coming in to Monday's game against the Indiana Pacers as losers of seven of their last nine, the Knicks desperately needed to get the monkey off their backs and pull out a victory - they did that, coming out on top 109-103.

Although, it wasn't easy. New York blew a 16-point fourth-quarter lead and almost took another loss which coach Jeff Hornacek thinks would have broken them.

“You lose another one like that guys probably quit and call it a year probably,” Hornacek told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

The Knicks alleviated some of the pressure - if only for a little while - and ensured they remained in the playoff hunt, now 2.5 games behind eighth-place Chicago.

The recent stretch of games is easily the most frustrating of the season for the Knicks who had lost three of four by a combined six points coming in to Indiana, but Hornacek is choosing to look on the bright side.

“This a tough stretch for us with these close losses. We were three over .500 at one point, and then we hit this stretch,” Hornacek said. “Got some bad breaks, but you have to make your own breaks sometimes.

“Guys know that if they keep playing and they’re not dropping their heads - yeah, they’re frustrated they’re losing - but when they go out on the court they’re still trying to do the right things.”

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