The Toronto Raptors will be entering their second consecutive game with one of their starters feeling under the weather.
Centre Jakob Poeltl has been listed as questionable for Tuesday's game against the Houston Rockets due to illness, the team announced on Monday.
Before the Raptors 122-92 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night, it was forward Brandon Ingram who entered the matchup as questionable because of an illness. The two-time all-star ultimately did play, putting up 11 points, six rebounds and six assists, while shooting just 4-of-12 from the field in 31 minutes.
As for Poeltl, the Austrian big man has steadily found his form after battling a lingering back injury for much of the season. Since returning on Feb. 11, Poeltl has played in eight of Toronto's nine games, with his lone absence coming on the first night of a back-to-back because of injury management.
The 30-year-old has looked especially sharp of late, putting up 15 or more points in three of his last five games, including a pair of double-doubles in that span. Poeltl put up 16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal and two blocks on 8-of-9 shooting in Sunday's victory over Dallas.
On the season, Poeltl's averaging 9.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists on 70.1 per cent shooting from the field through 29 games (27 starts). He's yet to take part in both legs of a back-to-back since returning from injury.
Meanwhile, the Raptors ruled out forwards Collin Murray-Boyles (thumb sprain) and Traye Jackson-Davis (finger dislocation) for Tuesday's game. It'll be the rookie's fifth consecutive absence as a result of the lingering injury and 12th since it first began bothering him in late December.
Murray-Boyles, the ninth overall pick in 2025, is averaging 7.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists through 47 games (22 starts) this season.
As for Jackson-Davis, he injured his finger during warmups against the Mavericks on Sunday night and was a late scratch from that contest. He recently put up 32 points with the G League's Raptors 905 during a conditioning stint.
Toronto will also be without two-way players A.J. Lawson and Chucky Hepburn, while Alijah Martin will be available.
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