Poeltl in midst of career-best season

TORONTO – Chants of “Jak! Jak! Jak!” could beryllium heard coming done the doors of the Toronto Raptors’ locker country arsenic Jakob Poeltl turned successful different stellar show successful the champion play of his career.

Poeltl had 30 points and 15 rebounds successful Toronto’s 130-119 triumph implicit the Indiana Pacers connected Monday to extremity the Raptors’ seven-game losing skid. Those numbers boosted Poeltl’s stats this play to 17.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, some vocation highs.

His erstwhile bests were 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per crippled with the San Antonio Spurs successful 2021-22.

“It’s a small spot of throwback to assemblage times,” said Poeltl, who averaged 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds successful his last play with the NCAA’s Utah Utes. “I’ve ever prided myself connected looking for my opportunities, playing winning hoops immoderate relation that whitethorn be.

“Right now, particularly with the benignant of bushed I’m having, the shots consciousness good, the floaters consciousness good. I consciousness similar I tin beryllium productive retired there.”

To telephone Poeltl productive implicit his past 3 games is an understatement.

He had 25 points and 18 rebounds successful Toronto’s 99-95 nonaccomplishment to the Detroit Pistons connected Friday and past had 35 points and 12 boards successful the Raptors’ 126-123 overtime nonaccomplishment successful Boston to the NBA-champion Celtics connected Saturday.

The agelong has been the strongest of his nine-year NBA vocation and 1 of the strongest of immoderate players since helium entered the league successful 2016-17. He joins Nikola Jokic (x3), Anthony Davis (x2), Giannis Antetokounmpo (x2), Karl-Anthony Towns and Domantas Sabonis arsenic the lone NBAers to person 3 consecutive games of astatine slightest 25 points and 12 rebounds connected 60 per cent shooting.

“What person you been seeing? Because I spot a monster, truthful what person you been seeing?” said RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., whose game-high 39 points was the astir a Canadian has ever scored for the Raptors. “He’s going brainsick close now.

“We don’t get this triumph without Jak. We’re not successful a batch of these games without Jak.”

Poeltl said helium doesn’t consciousness similar he’s changed his play benignant oregon mindset significantly, but that the injury-ravaged Raptors (3-12) person created much opportunities for him arsenic they marque him and Barrett the absorption of their offence.

“There are situations erstwhile I’m catching successful bushed due to the fact that I’m getting a mates of casual ones,” said Poeltl. “It feels much comfortable. I consciousness similar I person much of a flow.

“It’s easier to conscionable each present and past and possibly interruption retired of a play if I consciousness similar I spot thing oregon beryllium much assertive successful definite situations. So possibly it’s that.”

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Head manager Darko Rajakovic thinks it’s decidedly a mindset change.

“He’s playing with much force, going downhill and trying to dunk successful immoderate of those situations,” said Rajakovic. “That’s a testament to his work.

“That’s a testament to everything that helium did implicit the people of the summertime and if helium continues similar this, we’re going to person different all-star player.”

Several Raptors remained retired for the game, including all-star guardant Scottie Barnes (right orbital fracture), starting constituent defender Immanuel Quickley (partially torn UCL), seasoned guardant Bruce Brown (arthroscopic genu surgery), backup centre Kelly Olynyk (lumbar strain) of Kamloops, B.C., and first-round prime Ja’Kobe Walter (right enarthrosis sprain).

Veteran centre Bruno Fernando (right ankle sprain) was added to Toronto’s inactive database Sunday.

That heap of injuries contributed to the Raptors’ losing skid but Poeltl said helium and his teammates ne'er got excessively down.

“We conscionable couldn’t fig retired a mode to get implicit the hump,” helium said. “Yes, evidently losing sucks and it’s not similar we were successful super-high spirits.

“I don’t cognize if you guys heard the solemnisation successful the locker room. It was a small spot of a alleviation origin with it.”

This study by The Canadian Press was archetypal published Nov. 18, 2024.