National Basketball Association

Brook Lopez hits game-winning shot on his birthday

Published Apr. 2, 2015 12:00 p.m. ET

foxsports

Brook Lopez celebrated his 27th birthday Wednesday, and it ended in the perfect way.

Tie game against the Knicks. Final possession for the Nets. Four-game winning streak on the line. Take it away, Brook (h/t to Bleacher Report):

Lopez has been playing out of his mind of late. Fresh off a Player of the Week award, he's averaging 26.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game over his past eight. He's shooting 62 percent from the floor over that stretch, too. Now, he's hitting game-winners on his birthday. What more could the Nets want from the guy who has returned to being their best player?

The win gave Brooklyn its fifth consecutive victory and its ninth in 11 contests. The Nets are peaking at the right time and own a half-game lead over the Celtics for the eighth seed in the East.