Phoenix Suns

Hornacek 'thought there would be more blood' at physical Suns practice

Published Jan. 19, 2016 6:42 p.m. ET

Brett Pollakoff

The Suns have dropped 13 of their last 14 games, but according to head coach Jeff Hornacek, the players have yet to give up during what appears to be another lost season.

During a local radio interview, Hornacek detailed a recent practice that was so intense that at least one player was bloodied, and said that if guys were going to quit on this team, they would have done so during the intense workout session.

“After the practice they had yesterday, if they were quitters they would’ve left halfway through it,” Hornacek said, via Suns.com. “They didn’t. They kept going and they were enthusiastic. [It’s] not very often you get a text from one of your players saying that was a great practice. I got one yesterday from Tyson Chandler.”

“With the type of practice we had, I thought there would be more blood,” Hornacek said. “But there was only one bloody lip that came out of it. We didn’t wipe it up; we just kept going with the blood dripping down his chin.”

Obviously, that seems a little excessive. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and if the players are buying in, it means that Hornacek is doing something right.