The Toronto Raptors are talking about their return to the playoffs as a learning experience - and the Nets sure are teaching them a lesson.

Vince Carter scored 27 points, Richard Jefferson added 23, and the Nets took a 3-1 lead over the Atlantic Division champions Sunday night with a 102-81 victory - their second-biggest ever in a playoff game.

Two nights after never trailing and leading by as much as 21, New Jersey was behind for all of 15 seconds in this one and was ahead by 33 at one point.

"When you jump on a team, your goal is to continue to attack and take them out of it," Carter said.

Jason Kidd added 17 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds for New Jersey, which can advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a victory in Game 5 on Tuesday night. If the Raptors win that one, Game 6 would be back in New Jersey on Friday.

Toronto's first postseason since 2002 is shaping up as a short one. Teams taking 3-1 leads in series have won 158 and lost only eight.

"We got it handed to us. It was tough for everybody in the organization," Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said. "I told all the guys this is where you grow. You can't focus on how bad it was. You've got to focus on what you're going to learn. It's a waste to play this way and not learn anything from it."

Andrea Bargnani scored 16 points for the Raptors, who have lost eight straight road playoff games since beating Philadelphia on May 6, 2001, in Game 1 of Eastern Conference semifinals.

Kidd, who missed practice on the eve of Game 3 with a sore knee that Mitchell doesn't seem to believe he had, sat the entire fourth quarter. That's probably all that prevented him from a second straight triple-double, leaving him with 10 in the postseason, tied with Larry Bird for second on the career list.

The Nets punished the Raptors with their fast break in the first three games, outscoring them 49-25. New Jersey did its damage from the 3-point line Sunday, making a franchise playoff-record 14 in 27 attempts. Carter and Kidd each made five.