Bad slip

Pöltl injured in Raptors loss to Bulls

Jakob Pöltl (l.) was injured in the game against Chicago.(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The duel between the Toronto Raptors and the Chicago Bulls in the National Basketball Association (NBA) ended painfully for Jakob Pöltl on Monday (local time). The center from Vienna retired prematurely in the fourth quarter after slipping on the floor. The initial diagnosis was a left groin injury. The Canadians lost 121:122 after a comeback and suffered their fifth defeat in a row and 20th of the season.

There were 10:22 minutes left to play in the Scotiabank Arena when Pöltl went down with a yell in defense. The 29-year-old had been substituted just seconds earlier. He immediately made his way to the dressing room after leaving the court. The homegrown NBA pioneer finished with six points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 21:45 minutes of action.

Catching up after trailing by 16 points
The Canadians had already trailed by 16 points in the final period before they started a comeback. They reduced the deficit to one point three times. However, they were no longer able to turn the game around. RJ Barrett scored 32 points for Toronto and handed out nine assists. Gradey Dick recorded 27 points.

Cavs defeat Nets
The Raptors will host the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. The New Yorkers had no chance against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday and lost 101:130. Cameron Johnson was their best scorer with 22 points. Seven players scored in double figures for the NBA leaders from Ohio. Evan Mobley scored 21 points.

In Sacramento, Nikola Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to a 130-129 win over the Kings with his tenth triple-double of the season. The Serbian recorded 20 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. Jamal Murray led the Colorado franchise with 28 points. De'Aaron Fox scored 29 points for the narrowly defeated team from California's capital.