: Sportshttps://globalnews.ca/news/11586770/raptors-must-adapt-with-jakob-poeltl-day-to-day/<![CDATA[Raptors must adapt with Jakob Poeltl day-to-day]]>Sun, 21 Dec 2025 10:01:36 +0000
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.”
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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.
TORONTO – Payton Pritchard had a double-double with 33 points and 10 assists as the undermanned Boston Celtics topped the Toronto Raptors 112-96 on Saturday.
Pritchard added eight rebounds for Boston (17-11), while Derrick White added 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
The Celtics were without all-star forward Jaylen Brown, who was sick with an undisclosed illness.
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.
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Sandro Mamukelashvili had a season-high 24 points, going 6-for-9 from three-point range in place of starting centre Jakob Poeltl.
Poeltl was ruled out for the Raptors hours before tipoff with a sore lower back. Swingman RJ Barrett (sprained knee) of Mississauga, Ont., remains out.
TAKEAWAYS
Celtics: Boston took full advantage of Poeltl’s absence, outrebounding the Raptors 55-37 and getting 54 points in the paint to Toronto’s 32.
Raptors: Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley both got off to slow starts, going a combined 3-for-16 on field-goal attempts in the first half. Barnes made a layup for his first points of the game with 2:21 before intermission. On the next possession he grabbed his own rebound for a dunk. Quickley drilled a three-pointer with 40.1 left in the half to give Toronto a 51-49 lead.
White drilled a 31-foot three-pointer to cap an 11-4 Celtics run to start the fourth and give Boston a 94-84 lead.
KEY STAT
Although Brown’s absence meant they didn’t put up quite as many three-point attempts as usual, the Celtics still went 12-for-39 (30.8 per cent) from beyond the arc.
UP NEXT
Boston: Hosts the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Toronto: Visits the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 20, 2025.
]]>: Sportshttps://globalnews.ca/news/11586518/jakob-poeltl-out-for-raptors-vs-celtics/<![CDATA[Jakob Poeltl out for Raptors vs. Celtics]]>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 23:07:36 +0000
TORONTO – Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic and Toronto’s training staff are closely monitoring two injured players.
Starting centre Jakob Poeltl missed the Raptors’ game against the Boston Celtics on Saturday night while Canadian swingman RJ Barrett continued to improve. Rajakovic said that Poeltl was considered day-to-day as Toronto figured out how to manage his lower back soreness.
“He has some pain that comes and goes, and it’s pretty unpredictable,” Rajakovic said in his pre-game news conference. “He goes in the game, and he’s great in the game, and he might wake up the next morning and be feeling good or not feeling good.
“Same thing with practice. So we have a long-term plan for him, which consists of managing this injury, which consists of building his strength, which consists of him playing through certain levels of discomfort. Long term we are not concerned at all.”
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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 will have at least five days of rest.
“It’s just something that we are dealing with in the middle of the season,” said Rajakovic. “If we were in the off-season and you shut him down for two weeks, he would be completely fine, but it’s something we’re really trying to manage day to day.”
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, from Mississauga, Ont., would begin return-to-play activities this week after receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection.
Rajakovic said on Saturday that Barrett is ramping up his activities.
“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. 20, 2025.
]]>: Sportshttps://globalnews.ca/?p=11580359<![CDATA[Skate Canada to stop hosting events in Alberta due to sports gender law]]>Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:58:54 +0000
Canada’s governing body for figure skating says Alberta is now a no-go zone for national and international events because of its law on transgender athletes participating in female-only sports.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the organization’s refusal to hold events in the province “disgraceful” and said her government expects an apology.
Skate Canada, in a statement Tuesday, said its new policy is due to the provincial law — the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act — that prohibits transgender athletes from participating in female-only sports.
The law, which came into effect Sept. 1, blocks transgender athletes from Alberta who are 12 and older from competing in female amateur sports.
Skate Canada said the decision comes after long consideration.
“Skate Canada considers a variety of criteria when selecting host locations for its national events,” the statement said.
“Following a careful assessment of Alberta’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, Skate Canada has determined that we are unable to host events in the province while maintaining our national standards for safe and inclusive sport.”
Smith, on social media, accused the organization of refusing to hold events in Alberta “because we choose to protect women and girls in sport.”
“We expect (Skate Canada) will apologize and adjust their policies once they realize they are not only compromising the fairness and safety of their athletes, but are also offside with the international community, including the International Olympic Committee, which is moving in the same direction as Alberta.”
She said her United Conservative Party government’s view reflects common sense and popular opinion.
Smith’s chief of staff doubled down on Alberta’s laws, saying on social media “I guess Skate Canada has a problem with protecting women and girls from having to compete against men in competitive sports.”
Rob Anderson said he was proud to be from a province that “protects the rights and safety of women.”
Alberta Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko echoed the premier’s remarks, saying he was disappointed in Skate Canada “refusing to support and protect their own female athletes,” adding Alberta’s policies aimed at ensuring female athletic competitions are fair and safe.
“No athlete should have an unfair advantage, and no athlete should have to put themselves at risk of harm to participate in the sports they love,” Boitchenko said, pointing out the International Olympic Committee plans to look into the concern next year.
Skate Canada said the decision doesn’t prevent Alberta athletes from participating in its programming or competitions.
No upcoming national or international events are scheduled to be held in Alberta. The 2025-26 Skate Canada Challenge was held in Calgary last month, and the city also hosted the 2024 national championships.
The notwithstanding clause is a provision that allows governments to override certain sections of the Charter for up to five years.
The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act is one of three Alberta laws affecting transgender people passed last year by Smith’s government. The other laws prohibit doctors from prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to those under 16 and require parental permission for students under 16 to change their names or pronouns at school.
The laws polarized debate and sparked legal challenges, prompting the government earlier this month to invoke the Charter’s notwithstanding clause on all three to prevent them from being overturned in court.
Proponents, including Smith, have said the laws protect children and the sports legislation is specifically about making sure girls are not battling opponents with biological advantages. Detractors say the laws are about stigmatizing and punishing those in the transgender community to appease members of Smith’s party.
Regulations under the sports act allow transgender athletes from outside the province to compete in Alberta. Boitchenko’s ministry has said it doesn’t have the authority to regulate athletes from different jurisdictions.
Skate Canada said it will reassess its Alberta event ban if circumstances change.
The organization’s transgender inclusion policy states it’s “fully committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for all, regardless of any actual or perceived differences based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, language, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or disability.”
Alberta’s new rules around gender identity in effect
With files from Karen Bartko, Global News and Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
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