Meet the Knicks’ secret weapon: The man behind their jaw-dropping 3-point eruption

As the Knicks were raining down 3-pointers at a record rate on Mother’s Day — a continuation of their juggernaut playoff offense for the last few weeks — Peter Patton could’ve been awarded the assist for what everybody understands as a relentless commitment to the craft of jump shooting.

Patton, a 52-year-old former guard at DePaul, is the Knicks’ first shooting coach since Dave Hopla left in 2014. And before every game, he’s on the court — either with his hands folded near the sideline or serving as the passer — absorbing Knicks practice attempts as if studying for the bar exam.

As one of his former colleagues texted about Patton, “Tough and a big-time worker. … Care factor is extremely high.” And he’s not the type to hold back an opinion — “If you need to break down a door, he’s the battering ram,” another former Patton colleague texted. “And if you need to turn the knob, he’s also a battering ram.”

I saw Patton’s emotional investment during a regular-season game in Houston, when the Knicks bench was filled so Patton had to sit in front of the media. The coach was leaning into those shots as if lives were on the line. I mean, Patton was locked in.