After hitting seven straight 3-pointers and scoring 24 first-quarter points, D'Angelo Russell was on pace for 96 points. Of course, no one expected that to continue, but Russell scored only eight points the rest of the way, mostly against tough coverage by Fred Van Vleet, and the Raptors overcame a 15-point third-quarter deficit to pull out a 116-102 victory over the Nets on Tuesday night at Barclays Center.
The lead changed hands on four straight possessions early in the fourth quarter, but C.J. Miles scored 12 straight Toronto points, including a trio of treys, to give the Raptors a 103-95 lead with 7:15 left. The Nets cut their deficit to three with 5:48 left but missed every field-goal attempt the rest of the way. DeMar DeRozan scored the first seven points of an 11-0 run to give the Raptors a 114-100 lead and control of the game.
It was the 18th loss in the past 21 games for the Nets (21-47), who got 32 points from Russell, but after making his first seven 3s, he shot 3 of 15 the rest of the way. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson contributed 19 points, but the Nets were outscored in the paint, 62-36.
Jonas Valanciunas topped the Raptors with 26 points and 14 rebounds, DeRozan added 15 points, and Van Vleet totaled 15 to go with the defensive job he did on Russell after the opening period.
Rookie Jarrett Allen sat out with a sore left foot, but Nets coach Kenny Atkinson expressed hope that he would return for back-to-back games Friday in Philadelphia and Saturday at home against Dallas. In Allen's place, Dante Cunningham received his first start since joining the Nets at the trade deadline, but Atkinson said he expected Holli-Jefferson to get more minutes and Jahlil Okafor and Quincy Acy to get into the mix.
"It's the old quandary: Do you try to match up with their size or do you try to get smaller and make it a little unconventional and see if they can match up?" Atkinson said. "I think we'll try both and see which one is working the best."
Although Toronto came in with the best record in the Eastern Conference, Raptors coach Dwane Casey noted that his team had to go into overtime to beat the Nets the last time they visited Barclays Center on Jan. 8 and figured to have plenty of respect. Casey also stressed that his team is striving for the top seed in the playoffs.
The center of attention for the Nets turned out to be Russell from the outset. He stroked a corner three to open the scoring and stayed molten-steel hot for the first seven minutes of the game. He scored 24 of the Nets' first 29 points as they built a 29-18 lead on his 7-of-7 shooting from three plus three foul shots. It was the highest-scoring quarter of Russell's career, tied his highest-scoring half, and was one short of the Nets' record of eight 3-pointers in one quarter set by Joe Johnson on Dec. 16, 2013 against Philadelphia.
In the second quarter, Russell was scoreless. The Raptors put together a 10-0 second-quarter run to tie the game at 47 on a layup by VanVleet. But the Nets finished the second period on a 20-10 run, including eight points from Cunningham, to grab a 67-57 halftime lead.
The Nets' lead grew to a high of 15 points at 74-59 early in the third quarter, but that's where their shooting well began to run dry. The Raptors put together a 19-3 run, including a pair of 3s by Van Vleet, to grab their first lead at 78-77 on a 3-pointer by Lowry with 4:58 left in the quarter, which ended with Toronto in front, 87-85.
