Poeltl in midst of career-best season
Global News
Chants of "Jak! Jak! Jak!" could be heard coming through the doors of the Toronto Raptors' locker room as Jakob Poeltl turned in another stellar performance in the best season of his career.
TORONTO – Chants of “Jak! Jak! Jak!” could be heard coming through the doors of the Toronto Raptors’ locker room as Jakob Poeltl turned in another stellar performance in the best season of his career.
Poeltl had 30 points and 15 rebounds in Toronto’s 130-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday to end the Raptors’ seven-game losing skid. Those numbers boosted Poeltl’s stats this season to 17.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per game, both career 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 little bit of throwback to college times,” said Poeltl, who averaged 17.2 points and 9.1 rebounds in his final season with the NCAA’s Utah Utes. “I’ve always prided myself on looking for my opportunities, playing winning basketball whatever role that may be.
“Right now, especially with the type of rhythm I’m having, the shots feel good, the floaters feel good. I feel like I can be productive out there.”
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 and then had 35 points and 12 boards in the Raptors’ 126-123 overtime loss in Boston to the NBA-champion Celtics on Saturday.
The stretch has been the strongest of his nine-year NBA career and one of 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 as the only NBAers to have three straight games of at least 25 points and 12 rebounds on 60 per cent shooting.
As a centre, Jakob Poeltl isn't usually expected to pick up the slack when a wing is hurt. But with Canadian swingman RJ Barrett still out for the Toronto Raptors, Poeltl is finding his role expanding.
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