Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl sat out Wednesday’s game against the Houston Rockets due to back tightness and is considered day-to-day, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.
Although this was the first game Poeltl has missed this season, head coach Darko Rajakovic acknowledged that the injury had already been affecting his play through the first four contests, where he averaged just 6.5 points per game and the team was consistently outscored during his minutes.
“It’s definitely affected him quite a bit,” Rajakovic said. “He was not himself in those games. He was not moving the way we know that he can move and, definitely, his performance was not where we know Jak can be.”
Rajakovic added that the team hopes some rest will allow Poeltl to recover fully and avoid a long-term issue.
Still, even with Poeltl available, the Raptors have struggled with their lack of size, a problem that was especially evident against a large Rockets lineup that featured 6’8” rookie Collin Murray-Boyles starting at center.
The disparity on the glass was glaring: Houston outrebounded Toronto 53–22 in an 18-point win, nearly matching the Raptors’ defensive rebounds (18) with their offensive boards (17).
“I thought our guys were fighting, they were trying as much as they could,” Rajakovic said. “They just manhandled us inside the paint, and we did not have an answer for the rebounding.”
Atlantic Notes: Poeltl, Raptors, Celtics, Minott, Sixers https://t.co/qx7Hdx8WxN pic.twitter.com/B7AxEVt1Z7
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) October 30, 2025
