NBA

Best things come on 3s

Three for the money is taking on a whole new meaning for these Knicks.

And it’s not going to change. For those critics who think the Knicks are taking too many 3-pointers, guard Raymond Felton told The Post yesterday there is a wonderful method behind the Knicks’ 3-point madness.

The Knicks have taken 420 3-point attempts, 104 more than their opponents over the first 15 games. The Knicks have made 175 3-pointers, 55 more than their opponents.

It must be working because the Knicks are 11-4 heading into today’s matinee against the Suns at the Garden.

The Knicks are shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point land, while opponents are shooting 38.0 percent against them from deep-dish distance. The Knicks lead all teams, averaging 28 3-point field goal attempts per game. The Rockets are next at 26.

The Knicks are the only team averaging double digits in made 3-pointers at 11.7 per game (the Rockets are second at 9.2). Carmelo Anthony and Steve Novak have each made 33 3-pointers to lead the Knicks. That’s 2.2 per game; the Bulls are only making 3.9 per game as a team.

By successfully shooting so many 3s, the Knicks have opened up the floor, creating other avenues to score. This is not just a case of the Knicks shooting from downtown for the fun of it. It is all part of the plan.

“It seems like we’ve taken a lot of 3s,’’ Felton said, “but it’s working for us, so we have to go with what is working.

“For the fans that are looking from the outside and not looking in, with our offense you have to take those shots. You have to open up for guys like Carmelo and for myself, so guys can get to the basket. If guys are hitting from the perimeter, when it’s time to drive to the basket, it’s going to open things up more.’’

There will be times when the Knicks are ice cold from 3-point range and will have to make adjustments, but the 3-point shooting is here to stay. Deal with it.

“At practice every day, everybody’s taking 3s,’’ Felton said. “We practice those shots. It’s all part of the plan.’’

And it will continue to be part of the plan because by creating spacing good things develop elsewhere. The Knicks are getting more offense from center Tyson Chandler because of that spacing, and Anthony has been able to zip passes to Chandler for easy baskets. The NBA is all about spacing.

“We’re going to have bad shooting nights — we’re human,’’ noted Felton, who had just such a night in Monday’s overtime loss to the Nets. “But we have to continue to have confidence in ourselves to take those shots in order for us to get better and in order to win games.

“The fans just need to stick with us, we love you, continue to ride with us, that’s how we’re going to play,’’ Felton said with a smile. “We’re going to play hard and try to win every game and we are going to be in every game. I think we’ve only had one game, Houston, where it kind of got pretty bad. But they got really hot and had two guys who shot way over their heads. That happens.’’

In that 131-103 loss last Friday, Chandler Parsons scored 31 points for the Rockets while James Harden notched 33.

The Knicks made 12 of 29 3-pointers against the Wizards on Friday night, including three by Novak as the Knicks managed eight 3-pointers off the bench.

“To take 3s with no other strength, the defense would be able to take that away, but I think our outside game works off our inside game and vice-versa,’’ Novak said. “I don’t think we come down thinking we are going to shoot 3s, but we are prepared to shoot 3s. We are a team that does not have to force one thing or the other.’’

The 3s are coming naturally. So are the victories.