The Toronto Raptors suffered their fourth consecutive loss, following a 139-121 home defeat against the Houston Rockets, and head coach Darko Rajakovic pointed to the team’s size disadvantage as the most significant reason for the result.
The jumbo-sized Houston Rockets had a massive 53-22 advantage in the rebounding category, including 17 offensive rebounds. The Toronto Raptors clearly missed starting center Jakob Poeltl, who is dealing with a back injury.
“There’s the game right there,” Rajakovic said via Michael Grange of Sportsnet. “I thought our guys were fighting, they were trying as much as they could. They just manhandled us inside the paint, and we did not have an answer for the rebounding.”
On the bright side, the Toronto Raptors’ offense was humming, as they shot 50.6 percent from the field and 52.5 percent from three-point range. Scottie Barnes had a team-high 31 points, and Brandon Ingram, Immanuel Quickley, Collin Murray-Boyles, RJ Barrett, and Sandro Mamukelashvili added 29, 15, 13, 10, and 10 in the losing effort.
Toronto Raptors News: Darko Rajakovic drops encouraging Jakob Poeltl update
Jakob Poeltl was ruled out against the Houston Rockets, as he left Monday’s loss against the San Antonio Spurs with back tightness. According to Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, he expects Poeltl to be back soon.
“I don’t think it’s a long-term thing at all,” Rajakovic said about Poeltl. “This is something he’s managing right now, figuring out playing. He did have that sickness that got him off the floor for a couple days. It was a combination of things.”
“It definitely (hurt) him quite a bit, and he was not himself playing those games. He was not moving the way we know he can move. And his performance is not where we know Jak can be,” he added.
