The Raptors Are Out But 3 Canadian Players Are Still Repping The North In The NBA Playoffs
There are still a couple of hometown guys to root for. Three Canadian NBA players are repping the north in the playoffs even though the Raptors have been eliminated. Hopefully, they can make it to the finals!
The NBA playoffs have been whittled down to just four teams, the L.A. Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics.
It might be too painful to remember but the Raptors were knocked out by the Celtics in game seven.
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While the team has left the bubble and gone home, there are still Canadians to cheer for in the playoffs.
Jamal Murray, who was born in Kitchener, Ontario, plays for the Nuggets who are taking on the Lakers to try and make it to the finals.
He averages 27.1 points per game which is so much higher than the league average of 10.7.
Murray helped eliminate Kawhi Leonard and the L.A. Clippers in game seven and it had Raptors fans going wild.
He put up 40 points during his team's 104-89 win.
If you're a Raptors fan who was hurt by Leonard leaving the team or apparently saying he didn't think they were good enough to win another championship, Murray is definitely someone to root for.
Kyle Alexander and Kelly Olynyk are the other two Canadians still in the NBA playoffs. They're teammates on the Miami Heat.
Alexander was born in Scarborough but grew up in Milton.
He made his NBA debut this year on August 6 after being signed with the team in January.
Alexander was actually a classmate and roommate of Murray.
Olynyk was born in Toronto and moved to B.C. at a young age.
He signed a contract with the Heat back in 2017.
At 29 years old, Olynyk is the oldest of the three Canadian players still in the playoffs and he's also the tallest at a towering 6 feet 11 inches.
While these canucks could still make Canada proud, it's definitely not the same as the Raptors being in it.
But even after the Toronto team was eliminated from the playoffs, the players were still hyping each other up and nothing is more Canadian than that.