Brooklyn Nets: 3 things to watch in final meeting with Knicks

2. Can Russell do even more?

With Spencer Dinwiddie’s status up in the air due to a right thumb injury, it could fall to Brooklyn Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell to take on an even larger share of the load.

Russell earned his first career Player of the Week honor earlier this week, named as the Eastern Conference’s best player after averaging 28 points per game in leading the Nets to a 3-0 week.

He’s been sizzling in January, forcing his way into the All-Star conversation while averaging 24.1 points, 7.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 31.2 minutes per game while leading Brooklyn to a 9-2 record this month, shooting 49.3 percent overall and 44.2 percent from 3-point range.

He’s taken on more of the scoring load since his starting backcourt partner, Caris LeVert, went down with a foot injury in mid-November.

In 34 games since LeVert’s injury, Russell is averaging 20.4 points, 7.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 30.7 minutes a night, shooting 44.6 percent overall and 37.1 percent from 3.

After some difficulty gaining cohesion when paired with Dinwiddie, the duo has been very effective of late, including in Wednesday’s win over the Orlando Magic, when they combined for 54 points — 29 for Dinwiddie and 25 for Russell — while Russell added 10 assists, seven rebounds and two steals.

The game against Orlando marked the fifth time this season Russell has gone for at least 20 points and 10 dimes in a game and the third this month.

In his first three NBA seasons, Russell accomplished the 20/10 double-double just twice, once in 2016-17 with the Los Angeles Lakers, and in last season’s penultimate game against the Chicago Bulls on April 9.

It’s hard to imagine Russell taking on more of the load, but if Dinwiddie is sidelined for an extended period and LeVert remains out, he might just have to if the Nets are going to keep on their current roll.