Mike D'Antoni has some advice for Knicks fans pulling their hair out because of their team's maddeningly inconsistent play of late: Relax.

"Hang in there. We're hanging in there. We are pedaling as fast as we can pedal,'' D'Antoni said before Thursday night's game against the Grizzlies. "You can see there are some deficiencies and some holes. Our defense has gotten a little worse and we've got to get better.

"We've got to work at it, and it's going to take some sweat and some things . . . The biggest thing is not to exaggerate where we are, and hang in and keep working."

The Knicks are currently 7-6 since bringing in Carmelo Anthony to team with Amar'e Stoudemire. That includes two losses each to the Pacers and Cavaliers, two below-.500 teams.

"The biggest thing -- and I'll just keep repeating -- is we are not going to get caught up in the hysteria," D'Antoni said. "We are going to be who we are and we are going to play as well as we can and get it together"