TORONTO – Jakob Poeltl’s return didn’t precisely go to plan.
The Austrian massive man performed his first recreation Wednesday after lacking 24 with nagging again ache in opposition to the Detroit Pistons, however his Toronto Raptors struggled in a 113-95 loss in opposition to the Jap Convention leaders.
Toronto’s loss marked its seventh in as many makes an attempt in opposition to the highest three seeds within the East, additionally together with the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.
The Raptors are additionally now 4-13 in opposition to the ten finest groups within the league general.
“I feel they simply outworked and outclassed us slightly bit as we speak,” Poeltl stated. “They performed actually bodily, they rotated actually aggressively on defence and at instances we performed very well in opposition to it, however we simply couldn’t knock down open pictures. At instances, it regarded fairly unhealthy and we turned the ball over or we acquired caught.”
Detroit, which has simply 13 losses on the season, grew to become the primary group within the convention to hit the 40-win mark. The Raptors remained fifth, dropping to 32-23.
Poeltl’s first shift partly portended the evening to return. He scored the Raptors’ first basket of the sport on a pick-and-roll with RJ Barrett, however missed a lefty layup try quickly after.
On the defensive finish, he matched up with common backup Paul Reed and allowed him to attain 11 of Detroit’s first 14 factors. Reed completed with 22 factors and 5 rebounds.
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Poeltl was rather more lively within the second half, choosing up 4 factors and three rebounds within the first two minutes. He completed with 9 factors and 6 rebounds, enjoying in roughly five-minute shifts at the start of every quarter.
The Austrian stated his return “felt fairly good.”
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“Clearly not excellent. Nonetheless looking for slightly little bit of a rhythm, attempting to get my lungs again, looking for myself once more with out offence and stuff like that, however general the again felt good, so I’m blissful about that,” Poeltl stated.
The 30-year-old was averaging 9.7 factors and seven.7 rebounds per recreation in 21 contests earlier than Wednesday’s motion, lacking time on and off due to his again.
His return confirmed there should be an extended strategy to go earlier than he’s firing on all cylinders as soon as once more.
“It was encouraging that he was lastly capable of come again and play 20 minutes like we deliberate for him. And it was good to see that he didn’t have restrictions on the court docket,” Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic stated.
“I all the time say there’s a return to play, and there may be return to efficiency. So it was actually good to see him on the court docket now earlier than the all-star (break) and he can proceed to construct on this.”
Reed, a profession reserve, was solely beginning as a result of fellow massive males Isaiah Stewart and Jalen Duren started serving seven- and two-game suspensions, respectively, within the wake of Monday evening’s melee with the Charlotte Hornets.
Nonetheless, the Pistons snagged 17 offensive rebounds.
“After they’re lacking Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart, that’s one thing we shouldn’t be coping with. We must always do a significantly better job with that,” Rajakovic stated.
Toronto now has eight days off, although a big contingent will likely be headed to Los Angeles for all-star weekend.
Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram will play within the recreation, Rajakovic and his teaching workers will lead Workforce World, and rookies Collin Murray-Boyles and Alijah Martin together with Canadian A.J. Lawson will compete within the rising stars recreation.
It will likely be for some deserved recognition for a Raptors group that has exceeded expectations by means of 55 video games. However Toronto might want to take a step in opposition to the convention’s elite in the event that they need to make noise after the break.
“I feel general we might be pleased with our progress, however we’re additionally conscious that there’s rather more room for development individually and as a group,” Poeltl stated. “We’ve such an extended strategy to go nonetheless and groups like tonight kinda present that for us that we’re nonetheless not the place we need to be.”
For now, Rajakovic is happy — however sees extra development forward.
“Hopefully after the all-star break we can have all people wholesome, so we’re gonna be capable of make a subsequent step for us,” he stated. “I imagine that our greatest basketball is forward of us and never behind us.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed Feb. 11, 2026.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
