Jakob Poeltl says the Raptors are playing for more than a first-round win. They are trying to advance in the playoffs, get to the Finals and, as he put it, become an NBA champion. With Game 1 only a few hours away, Toronto expects him to be at his best if it is going to start the series the way it wants.
Poeltl said yesterday that he feels good when asked about his health, a small but important update for a player whose availability has lingered as a concern entering the playoffs. That matters because his health could go the longest way toward deciding the series outside of the star matchups, and Poeltl against Jarrett Allen could be one of the defining battles. The Raptors need Poeltl to set screens, roll hard, rebound and finish around the rim while also getting up and down the floor quickly enough to keep Toronto’s tempo intact.
The matchup has already shown how much it can swing a game. In January 2025, Allen went 5-for-5 on Poeltl and finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds. Poeltl answered in the same month by shooting 8-for-10, finishing with 17 points, seven boards and six assists. He also hit a push shot over Allen after taking a pass from Scottie, the kind of sequence Toronto will hope to see again if the series turns into a half-court grind.
That is the tension in this series. The Raptors want pace, precision and enough interior production to keep pressure on the defense, but playoff basketball usually brings extra physicality and fewer clean chances at the rim. Poeltl said it plainly: “It’s gonna be a job for everybody.” If he is right, Toronto’s path may run through the paint, where one healthy big man can change the shape of a series.
