TORONTO — The Toronto Raptors have a Jakob Poeltl problem.

It’s been ebbing in and out of sight for most of the season. But with the playoff spotlight in full glare, it’s impossible to miss.

The 30-year-old centre managed just four points and six rebounds in 21 minutes in Game 1 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It somehow looked worse than that as the Cavaliers' big men, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, combined for seven dunks among their 17 field goals, while Poeltl was 1-of-2 from the floor and didn’t grab a single offensive rebound.

In between Games 1 and 2, Poeltl — who last played in the playoffs in 2018-19 with the San Antonio Spurs — pledged to do better.

“I think I can be more assertive in Iooking for my own shots in some situations,” he said. “There were some situations that we looked at on film where I can be more aggressive, I can find better positioning for me to get open and take the shots that I’m used to taking."

The results in Game 2 were even worse. Poeltl was played off the floor and his only field goal attempts were an uncontested putback in the opening minutes that he converted and a layup that he missed under pressure from Allen near halftime.

He didn’t play again after that.

Raptors return to the playoffs on SportsnetThe Toronto Raptors return home down 2-0 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Watch Game 3 against Thursday at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet .Broadcast schedule

Raptors return to the playoffs on Sportsnet

The Toronto Raptors return home down 2-0 to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Watch Game 3 against Thursday at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet .

For the series, Mobley and Allen are shooting 74 per cent from the floor and are averaging 21 and 10 points per game, respectively. Poeltl has scored six points total.

There were plenty of reasons why Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic decided to bench Poeltl in the second half in favour of rookie Collin Murray-Boyles and Sandro Mamukelashvili.

The public ones are that Murray-Boyles gives the Raptors more versatility........

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