Lopez’s limited action all part of Atkinson’s plan

BOSTON — Brook Lopez is on a pitch count.

The Nets best player — like the entire roster, according to coach Kenny Atkinson — is having his minutes closely monitored already, just one game into the season. After a subpar preseason, Lopez opened the regular season by logging just 21:12 in Wednesday’s loss to the Celtics, including 9:12 in a second half that started with him on the bench.

“What we’re trying to do with Brook is take the long-term approach, just build him up as the season goes on and increase his minutes. We have a plan in place,’’ Atkinson said. “It’s learning the system, it’s looking at a long-term approach to how we’re going to build him up in terms of minutes as the season goes on. He’s got some miles on him.”

Lopez said the comparison of a pitch count is fair. “That’s a pretty good metaphor for it,” he said.

But considering his struggles to fit into the motion offense this preseason, mustering just five points on 1 of 7 shooting is sure to raise eyebrows — especially in a game where the Nets put up a team-record 44 3s and he gave a referee an earful.

“Obviously it was a difficult decision to come to for me because I love being out there on the court and helping my team. But I understand the reasons for doing it,’’ Lopez said. “We talked about it and discussed it a lot, and felt it was for the best. I’m on board with it, and I see the benefit of doing it in the long run.”

Backup center Justin Hamilton had 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting, 3 of 6 from deep.

Shooting guard Bojan Bogdanovic — who didn’t make a start in the preseason as the Nets eased him back in after a grueling Olympic summer — had a team- high 21. He hit a late 3 to get the Nets within 120-117, but missed a potential 3 to tie.

Jeremy Lin – who played four years at Harvard and graduated in 2010 — donated $1 million to his alma mater, in support of undergraduate financial aid and renovations to the school’s basketball arena.

Lin, who had 18 points and three assists, signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Nets this offseason.