Netlinked 3/31/15: Brook Lopez named Player of Week, Celtics regain No. 8 seed, Thad is back

In this latest Netlinked, Brook Lopez got rewarded for one of the best weeks of his career while the Nets’ battle for the final playoff spot in the East took a little bit of a hit Monday night, even though they didn’t play. As the regular season winds down, the games Brooklyn doesn’t play sometimes hold as much, or even more, importance as the games they do play. Let’s go:

Thanks to one of the best weeks of his career, Brook Lopez was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the four games he played–three of which Nets won–between March 23 and March 29. For the Western Conference, Warriors star Stephen Curry gained the honors.

Lopez, against the Celtics, Hornets, Cavaliers and Lakers, averaged 28.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.25 blocks as well as shooting over 57 percent from the field and compiling two double-doubles. Not bad for a guy who hadn’t averaged over 16 points entering the month of March. Extremely well-deserved.

For some not-so-good news, the Celtics crushed the Hornets last night in Charlotte, meaning Boston–holding the tiebreaker over Brooklyn–moves back into the No. 8 seed in the East, with a record just a few percentage points above that of the Nets. However, the Nets have played two less games than the Celtics, so they have one less tally in the loss column, which could be advantageous if the Nets win each of their extra games.

Tonight, Brooklyn welcomes the Pacers–who are a half-game behind the Nets and Celtics–to the Barclays Center. Then, tomorrow, Indiana goes to Boston for another important standings game while the Nets go to MSG to take on the Knicks. Also, the flailing Hornets host the Pistons in a must-win. These next two days will be incredibly crucial for this race.

Thaddeus Young, who hyperextended his knee last week in the Nets’ win over the Hornets, will return for tonight’s game, which is a huge boon for Brooklyn. Thad’s size is needed against the Pacers, who boast David West and Roy Hibbert–both strong scorers–in their frontcourt. Deron Williams, who has been feeling under the weather over the past few days, will also be in the lineup. Great news on the injury front for Lionel Hollins.