Toronto Raptors starting center Jakob Poeltl was a full participant in Monday’s practice and has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Poeltl has missed the past three games after sustaining a back injury in the loss to the San Antonio Spurs. During his absence, the Raptors posted a 2–1 record — rebounding from a disappointing home loss to the Houston Rockets with impressive wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies.
Toronto’s struggles on the glass were evident without Poeltl, as they were outrebounded 53–22 by Houston. However, the team showed significant improvement in the following contests, outrebounding Cleveland by six and Memphis by eight.
Poeltl remains the only player on Toronto’s injury report heading into Tuesday’s game. On Milwaukee’s side, Kevin Porter Jr. continues to sit out with a knee injury suffered in the season opener, while Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as probable with a knee issue of his own.
The Raptors will be looking for redemption after dropping their first meeting with the Bucks earlier this season. In that matchup, Toronto led for much of the night before Milwaukee stormed back in the fourth quarter to steal a six-point win. The Raptors’ missed opportunities from the free-throw line — shooting just 21-for-32 — proved costly down the stretch.
