After a brutal start to his Knicks tenure, which led to many lamenting his four-year contract, Evan Fournier quietly built himself back into the reliable 3-point shooter he has been for much of his career.
Fournier, after knocking down four of his 10 3-point attempts on Wednesday night, not only lifted his 3-point average to 40 percent on the season, but set the new Knicks record for triples in a single year, previously held by fan-favorite John Starks.
“I have a lot of emotions,” Fournier said. “I'm proud, I'm happy, I'm thankful for all the assists I got from my teammates and guys putting me in the situation to break that kind of record.”
Starks, who set the record with 217 during the 1994-95 season, posted a video through the Knicks Twitter account congratulating Fournier on the historic achievement.
“I just want to say congratulations on breaking my record, holding down the Knicks’ most 3-pointers in a season,” Starks said. “Congratulations my man, keep shooting it.”
That’s precisely what Fournier did this season, never losing faith that he would find his shooting stroke despite enduring a 14-game stretch earlier in the season where he was barely shooting it above 30 percent from downtown. But since a 10-for-14 breakout against the Celtics in January, he has shot 43 percent from beyond the arc in a 34-game stretch, while averaging nearly nine attempts per game. Fournier has evolved into one of the most consistent long range shooters in the league this season, and Wednesday was a fitting milestone.
“The fact that it’s in such a big, historical franchise, taking the record from John Starks, a famous guy and famous player, it’s hard to put words on exactly how I feel,” Fournier said. “I’m gonna call my friends, parents, and family, and it’s gonna be a great night.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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