The New York Knicks are in a tough place right now. Their season was promising until Kristaps Porzingis suffered a torn ACL in February. Now, coach Jeff Hornacek’s future is uncertain. The team is 3-11 over its last 14 games and instead of contending for playoff seeding, they Knicks are now vying for lottery positioning.
Frustrations have mounted for the team. Last month, it was reported that Hornacek got into a confrontation with veteran center Joakim Noah that resulted in the two having to be separated after Hornacek shoved Noah. And last week, Hornacek had a shouting match with another of his players: Kyle O’Quinn. They yelled at each other during a stoppage in play in Friday’s Knicks-Timberwolves game.
O’Quinn on Sunday addressed the altercation.
“I’ll be the first one to say my reaction was the wrong one,” O’Quinn said, according to the New York Post. “Someone yelled at me, I yelled back. Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
O’Quinn’s failure to contest a shot from Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns yielded Hornacek’s frustration.
“I like that s***,” O’Quinn said Sunday. “It was heat of the moment, heat of the game. He’s a competitor, ex-player. I’m sure if he’s in that position, he would’ve done something different back in his day. I was fired up at the game. I felt it was a winnable game. They were going to let us dance a bit and we were going to be in it. It’s just a reaction. You know how I am on the floor — fiery.”
Hornacek added that he was also happy to bury the hatchet.
“We like guys who are fiery,” Hornacek said. “Kyle’s done a great job all year long with his activity and intensity.”
O’Quinn is playing 17.3 minutes per game for Hornacek’s squad. The former Norfolk State standout is averaging 6.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game.
