NEWS
Strong performance! Jakob Pöltl shines in Milwaukee with season high
The Austrian records a double-double in the Toronto Raptors' road victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Toronto Raptors secured their fifth victory of the ongoing NBA regular season on Friday (local time). Jakob Pöltl's side claimed a 121-107 road win against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Pöltl delivered his strongest performance of the season so far: He set a new season high with 19 points and added eleven rebounds to complete a double-double.
Three steals, two assists, and a block rounded out his stat line. The 31-year-old center from Vienna logged 30:40 minutes of playing time.
Shorthanded Raptors
In the matchup, which also counted towards the NBA Cup (East, Group A), Pöltl recorded a double-double for the second time in the young season. Eleven points and seven rebounds came in the final quarter alone in Milwaukee.
The heavily depleted Canadians, who were missing Kawhi Leonard as well as Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley, were led by RJ Barrett and Alijah Martin with 27 points each.
Remarkably: Martin, who set a career high, had been averaging just 3.3 points per game heading into the matchup with the Bucks.
Several players "filled the gaps brilliantly," Pöltl noted, calling it "a really cool team win." The Raptors are back in action on Monday when they host the Memphis Grizzlies, who suffered their third straight loss on Friday in a 97-128 defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Defeat for James in Cleveland, 53 points from Doncic
There was nothing to gain for LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers on his "homecoming" to Cleveland. The title contenders from Pennsylvania, who had won five in a row coming into the game, suffered a heavy 95-119 defeat against the Cavaliers.
James had to settle for just eight points. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers got revenge on the Portland Trail Blazers for their 129-136 loss a week and a half ago, winning 124-118. Luka Doncic racked up 53 points.
The San Antonio Spurs celebrated their seventh consecutive victory with a 124-109 win away to the Sacramento Kings. Victor Wembanyama posted 30 points and 14 rebounds.
