Raptors 104, Nets 99
TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors erased a 16-point third quarter deficit and hung on to beat the Brooklyn Nets 104-99 on Tuesday night at Air Canada Centre.
DeMar DeRozan led the way with 25 points while Kyle Lowry added 23 points and nine assists.
Terrence Ross added 11 points and six rebounds off the bench while Patrick Patterson chipped win with 11 points.
With the win, Toronto (42-20) has now won three straight against Brooklyn this season and avoided a second consecutive home loss -- something they haven't done since December.
Toronto entered Tuesday's action two games back of the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.
Brooklyn (18-46) lost for the fourth time in five games.
The Nets were led by Brook Lopez's game-high 35 points, seven blocks and five rebounds.
Thaddeus Young added 14 points and four rebounds while Willie Reed chipped in with 10 points and four rebounds off the bench.
Lopez becomes the first player in the NBA this season to score 35-plus points and block five-plus shots in the same game.
The Raptors trailed by 16 with 6:53 left in the third quarter, but went on a 39-13 run to take a 10-point lead in the fourth.
Toronto carved Brooklyn's lead down to two after three quarters.
DeRozan and Lowry combined for 23 of their 39 points in the third quarter as the Raptors trailed 80-78 heading into the fourth.
Lopez drained an 11-foot buzzer beater to give the Nets a 58-42 lead at the break. The Brooklyn center had a team-high 14 points at recess.
The 58-42 halftime deficit equaled largest of season for the Raptors (63-47, Nov. 17).
Toronto surrendered 13 points on 10 first-half turnovers.
The Nets' 21-point advantage in the second quarter (35-14) marked their biggest positive point differential in any quarter this season.
The Raptors trailed 21-19 when Patterson, Bismack Biyombo, Cory Joseph and Ross checked in off the bench. Toronto outscored Brooklyn 9-2 over the final 2:47 of the first quarter to take a 28-23 lead.
However, Brooklyn responded with a 16-3 surge to start the second quarter taking an eight-point lead.
NOTES: The Nets announced that Trajan Langdon joined the club as assistant general manager. Langdon previously served as director of player administration and basketball operations for the Cleveland Cavaliers. ... Nets rookie F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was a full participant in practice on Monday as he works his way back from a broken ankle suffered Dec. 9. ... The Raptors started G Norman Powell and F Jason Thompson in place of F James Johnson and F Luis Scola. ... Toronto continues its seven-game homestand on Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks. Brooklyn concludes its nine-game road trip on Friday in Philadelphia.