Kyle Korver said that he was glad that the attention surrounding his 3-point streak was over after he tied the NBA record Wednesday.
It’s not.
There is the little matter of Korver having a chance to own the record outright. With a 3-pointer Friday against the Cavaliers, Korver will extend his streak to 90 consecutive games with a long-range basket. He will separate himself from Dana Barros, whose record of 89 consecutive games had stood alone since January 1994.
“I was just trying to get that one out of the way,” Korver said Wednesday after he tied the record 30 seconds into the Hawks’ win over the Clippers. “I’m just trying to be aggressive. A lot of other teams have focused on it. It’s been hard for me to get shots the last couple of games. I wanted to be aggressive. I was glad it went down, and we could just play the rest of the game.”
Korver has shot .467 (233-of-499) during the streak that began in the second game of the regular season last year. It’s better than the .442 (217-of-491) Barros shot during his streak.
The Hawks said they will have an in-game acknowledgement of the record, should Korver set it. They did not provide details.
“What Kyle has accomplished to date is significant, and we plan to acknowledge the streak,” said Garin Narain, Hawks vice president of public relations.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said having Korver in the lineup is a boost for the offense. Korver missed four games with a bruised rib before returning Wednesday for the record-tying basket. In fact, Budenholzer said he didn’t anticipate how much attention Korver would attract from opposing teams when he took over as head coach.
“He creates so much space,” Budenholzer said. “The defense has to honor him. The defense always wants to know where he is. If for some reason they lose him, obviously, he is a heck of a shooter and can make shots.
“Whether he is getting shots or somebody else is getting shots, Kyle Korver on the court makes a big difference for any team offensively. The other team has to account for him and doesn’t want to lose him. Then you can create opportunities for other guys.
“Then it becomes a game (for the opposition) of whether they are giving up too many easy baskets because they are too worried about Kyle. All of a sudden they leave Kyle (and he makes shots). It’s what drives coaches crazy.”
Schroder D-League debut Friday: Hawks rookie guard Dennis Schroder will make his NBA Development League debut Friday. Schroder, assigned to the D-League on Wednesday, will play for the Bakersfield (Calif.) Jam in a home game against the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The teams will also play Saturday in Los Angeles.
Schroder played sparingly after losing his backup point guard role to Shelvin Mack and with the return of Lou Williams. The 20-year-old did not play in seven of the last 10 games, including the final three, before his reassignment.
Budenholzer said there was no timetable for Schroder to return.
Schroder, a first-round draft pick, averaged 3.7 points, 2.5 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 13.9 minutes in 11 games.
Schroder will join guard Jared Cunningham with the Jam. Cunningham was assigned to the D-League in November. He has appeared in five games, all starts, and averaged 15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists in 34.4 minutes.
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