Raptors must adapt with Jakob Poeltl day-to-day and RJ Barrett still ramping up

TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors are learning to play basketball like two different teams: one that has Jakob Poeltl, and one that doesn’t.

Poeltl missed a second consecutive game due to lower back soreness as Toronto dropped a 112-96 decision to the Boston Celtics on Saturday. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said before the game that Poeltl’s back issues are “unpredictable” and that the team’s coaching and training staffs are figuring out how to prevent painful flare-ups.

Sandro Mamukelashvili, Poeltl’s backup at centre, said he’s always ready, regardless of what’s happening ahead of him on Toronto’s depth chart.

“It don’t matter. I come off the bench, I start, I want to come in and make sure I help the team win and that’s my only mindset,” said Mamukelashvili after scoring a season-high 24 points that included 6-of-9 three-point shooting. “Jak is there, I’m going to be ready when my name is called. If I’m starting I’ll be ready when my name is called.

“At the end of the day, if you’re not making shots or it’s not your best game you should always be energetic, always got to be decisive and play hard.”

Although Mamukelashvili thrived offensively, the Raptors still keenly felt Poeltl’s absence against Boston. The Celtics outrebounded Toronto 55-37 and scored 54 points in the paint to the Raptors’ 32.

“I hate getting outrebounded. It definitely hurts especially because I could have had more rebounds myself,” said Mamukelashvili, who pulled down five boards. “I feel I gotta do a good job boxing out. But sometimes we box out and everybody crashes and it’s got to be a team effort.

“At the same time, I can do a better job.”

Brandon Ingram scored 24 points and added seven assists as Toronto (17-12) had its modest two-game win streak snapped. Scottie Barnes flirted with a double-double despite a slow start, finishing with 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Ingram agreed with Mamukelashvili that in Poeltl’s absence more has to be done by all of the Raptors.

“We’ve always got to find a way, maybe crash in more guys,” he said, in Toronto’s locker room at Scotiabank Arena. “Everybody’s got to figure out a way to go down to rebound in basketball, including myself, so that can be a vocal point going forward.”

Poeltl is averaging 10.1 points, eight rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The 30-year-old had been resting in one game of all of the Raptors’ back-to-back games so far this season.

Toronto visits the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. However, Poeltl also sat out the Raptors’ 111-105 win in Milwaukee on Thursday, meaning he had five days of rest before Saturday’s game against the Celtics.

“At this point it’s not so severe where we say, ‘We need to shut him down.’ It’s not that serious,” said Rajakovic pre-game. “It’s managing, him learning, us learning, what is the best approach to it.

“Also it’s my part as well: Does he need to play longer runs? Does he need to play three stints? We’re just trying to find the best formula to have him play every single week.”

Rajakovic said pre-game that swingman RJ Barrett of Mississauga, Ont., had resumed some on-court activities.

Barrett has been out with a sprained right knee since injuring himself in a game against Brooklyn on Nov. 23. He was averaging 19.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists a game before he got hurt.

Toronto announced Monday that Barrett would begin return-to-play activities this week after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection.

“He’s reacting really well to the treatments and his PRP injection,” said Rajakovic “He was going full court running (yesterday) but he still did not do live contact.

“That’s coming in the next days, playing against coaches, against some contact, and playing live in practice, against teammates or our video guys. After playgroup, we’re going to clear him, and he’s going to be available.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 21, 2025.