Raptors 87, Nets 79: DeMar DeRozan scored 20 of his 24 points in the first half and visiting Toronto survived a back-and-forth affair to knot the Eastern Conference first-round series at two games apiece.

Kyle Lowry scored 22 points, Amir Johnson had 17 and Greivis Vasquez added nine points and nine assists for the Raptors, who will host Game 5 on Wednesday. Toronto opened the game with a 13-2 run and closed it with a 14-2 push to steal back homecourt advantage with its first road playoff win since May 6, 2001.

Paul Pierce led Brooklyn with 22 points while Mirza Teletovic added 12 off the bench. Guards Joe Johnson and Deron Williams, who averaged a combined 44 points in the first three games, totaled 17 on 6-of-19 shooting and had seven of the Nets' 16 turnovers.

Pierce had a layup with 6:12 to go for a 77-73 lead but Brooklyn managed just two free throws the rest of the way, going 0-for-6 from the floor and turning the ball over four times in a dismal stretch run. DeRozan's free throws with 4:43 to go gave Toronto the lead for good at 80-79, Vasquez followed with a 3-pointer and Lowry scored the final four points to ice it.

Johnson (11 points), DeRozan (10) and Lowry (10) combined for 31 first-quarter points and the Raptors led by as many as 17 midway through the second before Pierce had a layup and a 3-pointer as part of a 14-2 surge that helped Brooklyn pull within 51-44 at the break. Pierce opened the second half with a 3-pointer and a layup and the Nets kept coming, grabbing their first lead of the game moments later on a Kevin Garnett hoop to make it 52-51 less than three minutes into the third.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Nets G Shaun Livingston and Raptors C Jonas Valanciunas were given double technicals after a verbal exchange early in the third. ... Toronto made only one of its first 16 shots in the third quarter. ... The Raptors were 19-of-23 at the line, compared to 19-of-29 for the Nets.