Joe Johnson scored 29 points, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett brought a charge to their first playoff game in Brooklyn, and the Nets held off the Toronto Raptors 102-98 on Friday night for a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.
Deron Williams added 22 points and eight assists for the sixth-seeded Nets, who host Game 4 on Sunday night.
Pierce had 18 points, and he and Garnett provided the game's signature plays late in the second quarter, a reminder that the Nets brought the veterans here as much for their bravado as their basketball.
DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points for the Raptors, who have lost 13 straight road playoff games.
Patrick Patterson added 17 points but missed two free throws with a chance to tie for Toronto, whose last postseason victory was May 6, 2001, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Philadelphia.
Kyle Lowry fouled out with 15 points, forcing the Raptors to try to complete the comeback without their point guard.
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