Johnson’s 29 powers Nets

First Posted:

NEW YORK — 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.

Johnson made the clinching free throws with 3.1 seconds left after the Nets blew almost all of a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead. 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.

But all that experience almost didn’t matter after the Nets made a series of mistakes down the stretch.

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. And they almost did.

Toronto charged back and was in position to tie when Patterson went to the line with 19 seconds left. But he missed both and Pierce knocked down two to make it 100-96, and Johnson then made two with 3.1 seconds to go after Amir Johnson’s follow shot as Brooklyn held on.

The Raptors beat the Nets in their first trip here this season, one of only four home losses for Brooklyn in 27 home games since Jan. 1. Toronto had a franchise-record 22 home victories during the regular season, and coach Dwane Casey hoped his team could handle its first road playoff test.

But the Nets’ experience was evident for the first three quarters, especially once Pierce and Garnett made their impression on the game.