Toronto Raptors centre Jakob Poeltl is expected to play against the Brooklyn Nets despite a nagging back injury.

According to Nets Wire reporter Sharif Phillips-Keaton, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic expects Poeltl to play against the Nets.

“Raptors HC Darko Rajakovic said that Jakob Poeltl, listed as questionable with lower back injury management, is going through his pregame routine now, but that he expects him to play,” Phillips-Keaton tweeted.

Raptors HC Darko Rajakovic said that Jakob Poeltl, listed as questionable with lower back injury management, is going through his pregame routine now, but that he expects him to play.

— Sharif Phillips-Keaton (@SharifKeaton) December 21, 2025Poeltl back vs. Nets

The Raptors missed Poeltl’s post presence in the team’s game against the Boston Celtics, but he should be back against the Nets.

Poeltl has been dealing with a back injury throughout the season, and it continues to give him trouble, but he appears ready to go before facing off against the Nets. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic spoke after the Celtics game and believes Poeltl’s injury is not something that will harm him in the long run.

“The situation with Jak is such that it’s a day-to-day thing,” Rajakovic said via Sportsnet reporter Michael Grange.

“He has lower-back pain that comes and goes. It’s pretty unpredictable. He goes in the game and is great in the game. He might wake up in the next morning feeling good or not feeling good. Same thing with practice. We have a long-term plan for him which consists of managing his injury, which consists of building his strength, which consists of him playing through a certain level of pain.

“Long-term, we are not concerned at all. It’s just something we’re dealing with in the middle of the season. If it were the off-season and we were to shut him down for two weeks, he would be completely fine. It’s something we’re really trying to manage day to day.”

Rajakovic believes Poeltl needs a few weeks before this injury is officially blind him.

“I’m a hundred per cent sure that Jak is gonna be just fine and this will be behind us,” Rajakovic said. “In two to three weeks, we’re not going to be talking about this at all, hopefully.”

It remains to be seen if Poeltl is going to be dealing with this for long. While the optimism is nice, that’s all that it is. Hope does not equal results.

Tip-off between the Raptors and Nets is scheduled for 6 PM ET. Fans can watch the game on TSN Sports or stream it on NBA League Pass.

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