National Basketball Association low-ranking team Phoenix Suns has given the pink-slip to Jeff Hornacek, a month after the club decided to give the head tactician a second chance.

The team announced on Monday that Hornacek was relieved of his duties and that assistant coach Earl Watson will serve as the interim coach.

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"Yahoo! Sports, which first reported the firing, posted that Hornacek learned of his fate in a conversation with general manager Ryan McDonough on Sunday night after a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Suns' 19th defeat in 21 games and 14th straight on the road." ESPN publicized.

Phoenix started the season with positive yearning after posting records of 48-34 and 39-43 in the first two seasons of Hornacek as the team's head coach. The team sas expected to tussle for a spot in the playoffs, but instead, the Suns are heading for their sixth successive non-playoff season, the longest postseason drought in franchise's history.

The Suns currently sit in the 13^th and 14^th spot in the Western Conference team standings sharing the spot with Minnesota Timberwolves having a similar 14 win, 35 loss record. The Los Angeles Lakers are at the last bottom of the team standings with 9 wins and 41 defeats.

Hornacek, 52, was named the head coach of the Phoenix Suns on May 28, 2013. The former Utah Jazz starter also became the team's first ever head coach to start out his coaching stint with a 4-0 record at home games.

The former two-time NBA Three-point Shootout Champion won the NBA Coach of the Month award in December 2013, after leading the Suns to a 10-3 record during the month; it was his first coaching honor. He was the runner-up coach in the NBA Coach of the Year Award losing to three time winner Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs.

Hornacek has established a record of 101-112 in his three seasons as Suns head coach. He is the fourth NBA coach to be sacked, joining Kevin McHale of the Houston Rockets, Lionel Hollins of the Brooklyn Nets and David Blatt of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tagsnba new, phoenix suns, jeff hornacek, Utah Jazz, NBA