TORONTO – Chants of “Jak! Jak! Jak!” could possibly be heard coming through the doors of the Toronto Raptors’ locker room as Jakob Poeltl turned in one other stellar performance in the very best season of his profession.
Poeltl had 30 points and 15 rebounds in Toronto’s 130-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday to finish the Raptors’ seven-game losing skid. Those numbers boosted Poeltl’s stats this season to 17.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, each profession highs.
His previous bests were 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game with the San Antonio Spurs in 2021-22.
“It’s a bit little bit of throwback to school times,” said Poeltl, who averaged 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds in his final season with the NCAA’s Utah Utes. “I’ve at all times prided myself on on the lookout for my opportunities, playing winning basketball whatever role that could be.
“Right away, especially with the kind of rhythm I’m having, the shots feel good, the floaters feel good. I feel like I could be productive on the market.”
To call Poeltl productive over his past three games is an understatement.
He had 25 points and 18 rebounds in Toronto’s 99-95 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Friday after which had 35 points and 12 boards within the Raptors’ 126-123 extra time loss in Boston to the NBA-champion Celtics on Saturday.
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The stretch has been the strongest of his nine-year NBA profession and one among the strongest of any players since he entered the league in 2016-17. He joins Nikola Jokic (x3), Anthony Davis (x2), Giannis Antetokounmpo (x2), Karl-Anthony Towns and Domantas Sabonis because the only NBAers to have three straight games of not less than 25 points and 12 rebounds on 60 per cent shooting.
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“What have you ever been seeing? Because I see a monster, so what have you ever been seeing?” said RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., whose game-high 39 points was probably the most a Canadian has ever scored for the Raptors. “He’s going crazy without delay.
“We don’t get this win without Jak. We’re not in lots of these games without Jak.”
Poeltl said he doesn’t feel like he’s modified his play style or mindset significantly, but that the injury-ravaged Raptors (3-12) have created more opportunities for him as they make him and Barrett the main focus of their offence.
“There are situations after I’m catching in rhythm because I’m getting a few easy ones,” said Poeltl. “It feels more comfortable. I feel like I even have more of a flow.
“It’s easier to only once in a while and possibly break out of a play if I feel like I see something or be more aggressive in certain situations. So possibly it’s that.”
Head coach Darko Rajakovic thinks it’s definitely a mindset change.
“He’s fiddling with more force, going downhill and attempting to dunk in a few of those situations,” said Rajakovic. “That’s a testament to his work.
“That’s a testament to all the pieces that he did over the course of the summer and if he continues like this, we’re going to have one other all-star player.”
Several Raptors remained out for the sport, including all-star forward Scottie Barnes (right orbital fracture), place to begin guard Immanuel Quickley (partially torn UCL), veteran forward Bruce Brown (arthroscopic knee surgery), backup centre Kelly Olynyk (lumbar strain) of Kamloops, B.C., and first-round pick Ja’Kobe Walter (right shoulder sprain).
Veteran centre Bruno Fernando (right ankle sprain) was added to Toronto’s inactive list Sunday.
That pile of injuries contributed to the Raptors’ losing skid but Poeltl said he and his teammates never got too down.
“We just couldn’t determine a technique to recover from the hump,” he said. “Yes, obviously losing sucks and it’s not like we were in super-high spirits.
“I don’t know in case you guys heard the celebration within the locker room. It was a bit little bit of a relief factor with it.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
