TORONTO - Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 12 assists as the Raptors beat the Brooklyn Nets 105-89 on Wednesday night — a bit of payback against the team that ousted Toronto from last season's playoffs.

Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors (20-6), who won their fourth straight game. Amir Johnson, Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez finished with 13 points apiece.

Mason Plumlee had 23 points to top the Nets (10-14), while Joe Johnson added 17.

The game marked the first meeting between the two teams since the Nets dispatched the Raptors in seven games in the opening round of the playoffs — a spirited series that saw Raptors GM Masai Ujiri drop an F-bomb, and drew thousands of fans to Maple Leaf Square each game.

The Raptors entered the night with a half-game lead over idle Washington atop the Eastern Conference, and a full eight games ahead of the Nets in the race for the Atlantic Division title.

But the two teams paced each other for most of the night in a game that saw 11 lead changes through the first three quarters. The Raptors took a 76-73 advantage into the fourth.

But the Raptors have become known for their strong fourth quarters, especially at the Air Canada Centre, and Wednesday was no different. When Patterson drained a three-pointer with 4:35 to play, it put the Raptors up by 14 and brought the fans out of their seats.

The Raptors owned the Nets in the final few minutes. Joe Johnson went to the free-throw line on the Nets' next possession and went 0-for-3, as chants of "Brooklyn sucks!" rolled around the arena. And by the time Vasquez scored on a three with a minute to play, it gave the Raptors an 18-point lead.

Much to the fans' delight, rookie Bruno Caboclo made an appearance for the final few seconds, prompting chants of "Let's go Bru-no!"

The memory of how Toronto was ousted in heartbreaking fashion by the Nets last season — they lost Game 7 of the series 104-103 at the ACC — still lingers with the Raptors. Asked if that memory was added motivation for his players Wednesday, coach Dwane Casey said "I would say they remember.

"Whether it motivates them, you'd have to ask them. I hope so. It should motivate you. But there's a big difference in what's at stake from then to now. This is one of 82. It's a division game, so it puts a bit more weight onto it. But it doesn't have the same monumental feel as Game 7 of last year."

Casey said it took him a couple of months to get over that loss.

"Going over each play, what we could have done different — the whole series, the playoff approach. When you're that intense for that period of time, it takes a while to shut it down."

The game also marked the second annual "Drake Night." All 19,800 fans were given keepsake T-shirts, and the Canadian rapper, who's also the team's global ambassador, did the pre-game player introductions.

Drake said he chose the Nets for his night because of the obvious rivalry.

"If there's anybody that I want to beat, it's the Nets," Drake said. "Obviously, I've got much love for New York and Brooklyn but in this particular arena at this particular moment, the one thing I want to do is knock out Brooklyn."

The Raptors allowed the Nets to shoot 59 per cent in the first quarter, and trailed by 11 points after a three-pointer by Mirza Teletovic with 1:38 left in the frame. The Nets took a 30-22 advantage into the second.

Johnson led the way with seven points and five boards in a second quarter that saw the Raptors outscore the Nets 31-22. Lowry banked a jumper off the glass to send them into the halftime break up 53-52.

Valanciunas poured in 10 points in the third, and the Raptors took a six-point lead on a dunk from Landry Fields. They led by three with one quarter left.

The Raptors are in Detroit on Friday, then return home to host the New York Knicks on Sunday. . . They head west for a gruelling six-game road trip while the world junior hockey championships are in Toronto.