Jakob Pöltl suffered a 116:122 defeat against the Utah Jazz (28-29) on his debut after his return to the Toronto Raptors (26-31).
Head coach Nick Nurse brings Austria’s NBA export off the bench for the time being, as announced, and gives the Viennese 16:41 minutes of playing time.
Pöltl managed six points, four rebounds and two assists. He uses both attempts from the field, but only two of his seven free throws.
The Raptors actually control their home game for long stretches, but completely lose the thread in the final quarter and give it up at 20:39.
With 5:04 minutes to go, the Canadians are still ahead by 13 points before being outscored by 5:24.
Toronto’s top scorer is Pascal Siakam with 35 points, while Utah’s Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler each have 23 points, while Collin Sexton has 22.
Of course, in the battle for a playoff spot, this loss is a step backwards for the Raptors, who had won their three previous games.
