TORONTO - Deron Williams scored 24 points and added nine assists Friday as the New Jersey Nets defeated the Toronto Raptors 97-85.
Anthony Morrow added 24 points of his own for the Nets (2-6), while DeShawn Stevenson chipped in with 15.
Former Raptor Kris Humphries had 16 rebounds to go with six points.
Jose Calderon led the Raptors (3-4) with a season-high 19 points and added eight assists.
Andrea Bargnani added 17 points for Toronto, while Rasual Butler and Ed Davis each scored 11.
DeMar DeRozan was held to three points on 1-for-6 shooting from the floor and had little playing time in the fourth quarter.
The Nets stretched an 11-point third-quarter lead to 18 early in the fourth on Morrow's three-pointer with 9:15 to play. The Raptors had little response as the New Jersey lead reached as high as 21.
Friday's game was the beginning of seven in nine days for the Raptors, who play in Philadelphia on Saturday. Toronto plays back-to-back games three times during that stretch.
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said before the game that he would try to give players some extra rest if circumstances allowed. But he added it might not always be possible because, "We're going to go out and compete."
The Nets took an eight-point lead into the second half and had it up to 11 after Williams hit a pair of free throws with 1:47 to play in the third. Despite Calderon's 10 points in the quarter, New Jersey led 75-64 after three thanks to 12 points from Williams.
Toronto had a better shooting percentage, 47.4 to 37, through two quarters but New Jersey led 48-40 at the half with Morrow topping all scorers with 14 points. Bargnani and DeRozan were held without a point in the second quarter.
DeRozan had just two points at the half after scoring 25 in Wednesday's win over Cleveland. Bargnani scored 31 in that one but had eight first-half points against the Nets.
Morrow had eight points as the Nets led 22-21 after the first. New Jersey scored 10 points off four Raptors' turnovers in the quarter.
Notes: Attendance at Air Canada Centre was 16,771. ... Raptors guard Jerryd Bayless was not in uniform because of a sprained left ankle that has him listed as day-to-day. ... The Nets were without guard MarShon Brooks (sprained left ankle) and forward Damion James (sore right foot). ... Humphries, who missed the previous two games with a sore left shoulder, started at power forward. ... Nets' centre Mehmet Okur left the game after 3:18 in the first quarter with back spasms. ... Raptors forward Linas Kleiza is close to returning from right knee surgery performed last February. ... Blue Jays players Brett Lawrie, Rick Romero, Casey Janssen and J.P. Arencibia and former Blue Jays Duane Ward and Pat Tabler tossed souvenirs into the stands during a second-quarter time out.