Tampa, Florida - The Nets needed a real team effort to overcome the Raptor's defensive strategy on Tuesday, and they showed why they have of the highest payrolls in all of basketball with a 116-103 win.

With this, the Nets have officially clinched a playoff spot. After missing the playoffs for three straight seasons after the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett era, the Nets have cemented their third straight appearance.

The win embodied the way an unhealthy Brooklyn roster must play to win games. With James Harden (sidelined by a hamstring strain, the Raptors keyed in on Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. It’s a Toronto special: head coach Nick Nurse is one of the NBA’s most creative defensive minds. On Tuesday, his Raptors held Durant and Irving to one of their lowest-scoring games of the season as a duo.

It was a game for the so-called "others": a team-high 22 points from Jeff Green, 16 from Joe Harris, 17 off the bench from Blake Griffin and 10 more from Tyler Johnson. Mike James, on a 10-day contract, also stepped up with 11 points and eight assists in 21 minutes of play.

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The Nets put on a clinic: 30 assists on 40 made shots. Seven of eight players in double figures, with the super-scoring Irving as the only holdout. It was as selfless a performance as the coaching staff could have asked for, and exactly what the doctor ordered to ward off a feisty Raptor defense.

The win was earned: The Nets had to overcome a clear mismatch in the paint. The Raptors acquired shot-blocking, rebounding big man Khem Birch on the buyout market, and Birch had an Andre Drummond-like impact in the paint: 13 points and 14 rebounds, including nine on the offensive glass.

Next up, Brooklyn will face Caris LeVert in Indiana against the Pacers on Thursday, while the Raptors will be hosted by the Nuggets.

It was a night for wins on the road in the NBA, as the Celtics got blitzed by the Thunder 119-115, and the Trail Blazers steamrolled the Pacers 133-112 on their own home court.

The Hornets didn't fare much better, going down 114-104 to the Bucks. Luka Doncic racked up 39 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and two steals in the Mavs' crushing 133-103 win over the Warriors. The Timberwolves enjoyed their trip to Houston, where they beat the Rockets 114-107.

On Wednesday, the Suns host the Clippers in a Western Conference showdown, while the 76ers face off against the Hawks.