New York ? Showing more defensive intensity than his team often exhibits, New York Knicks coach Don Chaney stuck up for himself Saturday amid reports that his job was in jeopardy.

“I don’t need any reassurance,” Chaney said prior to New York’s game against the Atlanta Hawks. “You’re here to win as many games as you can. I know my job; I do my job well. If we don’t win, I can’t do anything about that. Only thing I can do is be judged by my team being prepared. Bottom line.”

The Knicks lost for the eighth time in 10 games Friday night, falling 105-99 in overtime to the Toronto Raptors.

Team president Scott Layden told reporters before that game that the Knicks were entering a critical juncture of their schedule, although he also said he was “unflappable” in his support for Chaney.

Several newspapers quoted anonymous sources saying Chaney’s job was in jeopardy with the Knicks sitting in fifth place in the Atlantic Division.

For the first time since he took over following Jeff Van Gundy’s resignation more than two years ago, Chaney has had an entire roster intact for the past 11 games after Antonio McDyess returned from knee surgery.

But the team has played poorly during that span, going 0-5 — and losing all five decisively — on a recent Western road trip before a woefully uninspired effort Tuesday in a 104-86 home loss to Golden State.

“I realized in November I have to win, now I’m in December and I still realize the same thing. In terms of being a critical part of the season, the critical part was going out West, going out there and not winning. That was critical. We could have made up some ground there,” Chaney said.

“I work extremely hard, I put a lot of hours in, I lose a lot of sleep and when I wake up the next day I’m very, very, very pleased with myself because I know I’ve done my job.

“Now, whether it turns into winning, I can’t control that,” Chaney said.