The Raptors appeared to be on their way to a relatively easy win taking a 13-point lead into the final quarter

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives to the basket as Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (41) tries to defend during the second quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Photo by Nick Turchiaro /USA TODAY Sports

An infusion of new, or in this case old, blood didn’t have the desired effect the Raptors were hoping.

Jakob Poeltl made his return to Toronto and showed enough to confirm that he will make this team better once he settles in, just not yet.

Poeltl played 17 minutes in his first game since coming over in the trade deadline day deal that sent Khem Birch, a protected first-round pick in 2024 and two second-round picks to San Antonio.

Without a practice and having only watched the morning shootaround, Poeltl was not in the starting lineup, but he did have an impact when he got into the game with six points, two assists and four rebounds.

After the game, he admitted the lack of familiarity with the schemes that have changed pretty drastically since he was last a Raptor kept him from having a bigger impact, but he’s confident that comfort level will come pretty quickly.

That may have been one of the few positives on an otherwise tough night for the Raptors.

Toronto appeared to be on their way to a relatively easy win to start, even taking a 13-point lead into the final quarter, but a string of empty trips and some inspired play inside from the Jazz big men Lauri Markkanen and Walker Kessler turned the game around in a hurry.

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But as much as Markkanen and Kessler turned the tide, this one still gets added to a growing number of fourth-quarter collapses by a Raptors team that is supposed to be better than this.

Fred VanVleet felt the Jazz may have had a little help in turning this one around.

“I think tonight was tough with the whistle, the way it went early in the (fourth) quarter,” VanVleet said. “I thought we played three great quarters of basketball and I think it was just hard to get back on our toes just the way the whistle was going. We were back on our heels. It certainly took me out of it early on. It was a tough adjustment to make on that end and we just never got on the other side of it.”

VanVleet played the entire fourth quarter with five fouls while both Siakam and Poeltl were playing with four.

The Raptors still had a 13-point lead with 5:17 to go in the game but the Jazz went on a 24-5 run to put another ugly loss in the books for the Raptors.

The Jazz arrived in Toronto with just nine healthy bodies courtesy of their own moves on trade deadline day and a non-COVID illness to super sixth man Jordan Clarkson. They looked ripe for the picking.

The Raptors held a lead for the vast majority of evening but in the fourth quarter saw both their defence disappear and their offence dry up.

The Raptors were good on just 8-of-23 shots in the fourth while the Jazz made the most of their trips hitting 14-of-17 to steal this one from their hosts.

Lost in the ugliness was another fine Pascal Siakam performance which included a season-high five three-pointers, four of them in the first quarter on his way to a 35-point night.

The Jazz got 23 apiece from Markkanen and Kessler while Collin Sexton chipped in with 22.

Utah’s bench outscored Toronto 34-17.

O.G. Anunoby sat out a seventh consecutive game with a sprained left wrist which allowed Precious Achiuwa to remain in the starting lineup.

Achiuwa had 16 on the night in another solid effort offensively. Post game, he tried to take all the blame for the defensive letdown in the fourth.

“I take 100% of the blame on that,” Achiuwa said. “I got to do a better job of anchoring the defence back there, getting guys where they need to be. I just got to be better.”

Achiuwa, for the record, was not solely to blame for the letdown.

The Raptors will take a day to let this one settle and then get ready for the Detroit Pistons on Super Bowl Sunday in a rare 3 p.m. start.

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SIAKAM A BELATED ALL-STAR

Siakam was initially denied a spot in this year’s All-Star team but the league made sure the most deserving Raptor is going.

Siakam was one of three NBA players named as All-Star injury replacements by commissioner Adam Silver. He joins Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox as replacement all-stars for the injured Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson.

Joel Embiid of the Sixers, Markkanen of the Jazz and Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies get bumped up to starters with the injuries.

Siakam got caught in a numbers game in the East where the frontcourt is particularly deep. But there was little question that he was deserving of the honour.

Siakam was averaging career highs of 25.0 points and 6.2 assists, along with 8.0 rebounds and 37.5 minutes (first in the NBA), in 46 games this season. He currently ranks inside the top 20 in both scoring and assists, and is the only player in the Eastern Conference averaging at least 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists.

POELTL MOVE SMOOTHER THIS TIME

The first time Poeltl was traded was so much worse for the returning Raptor.

A first-round pick by the Raptors (ninthoverall in 2016), Poeltl, like many in the trade that changed the organization forever, was caught completely unaware when he got the call informing him he was part of a package along with DeMar DeRozan headed to San Antonio in the trade that brought Kawhi Leonard to the Raptors.

Four and a half seasons later the move back wasn’t quite so unexpected.

“There were plenty of rumours,” Poeltl said following his first morning shootaround with his new/old team. “Obviously you never know for sure. I thought there was a chance they would trade me, I didn’t know exactly where. I know there was multiple teams that were interested, but it was still very much in the air. I was a little distracted the last couple of days, but it’s just good to have it over with and I’m glad it worked out this way.”

Poeltl returns to a Raptors team that still has former teammates Siakam, VanVleet and Anunoby.

But instead of taking his old No. 42,, Poeltl decided a new chapter deserved a new number so he grabbed No. 19, a number that has never before been worn in team history.

Poeltl said there was a personal reason he chose No. 19, but he elected to keep that to himself.