THE LATEST LINE: NBA FINALS PROVE TO BE EXCITING AFTER ALL

A funny thing happened to the Los Angeles Lakers' expected romp to the NBA championship.

The Philadelphia 76ers decided to make things interesting.

Philadelphia's surprising -- maybe even stunning -- 107-101 overtime victory in Wednesday's Game 1 in LA made sure that the Lakers would not sweep their way through the playoffs.

Even though LA rebounded Friday to win 98-89, the series goes back to Philly for the next three games with at least a healthy dose of excitement and intrigue.

Can the gritty, beat-up 76ers really continue to hold up strong over the supposedly invincible Lakers and take LA to the limit -- or maybe even knock off the Hollywood glamour boys?

It's a question that has been examined, poked and prodded on virtually every television and radio sports show over the past several days. And it's led to two popular theories, one as different as the other.

In one corner you have the people who believe the 76ers are mentally tough enough and defensively strong enough -- and have just enough offense to go along with the sensational Allen Iverson -- to make this a winnable series.

In the other corner you have the people who believe the Lakers were simply rusty in Game 1 after sweeping aside the Spurs in the Western Conference finals. Those folks figure the real Lakers began to get things going in Game 2 and they'll have no trouble the rest of the way.

I'm stuck some place in the middle. On the one hand, I think the 76ers -- who despite their injuries and apparent limitations have somehow just kept on surviving -- have so much heart and toughness -- not to mention Iverson -- that they can hang in the entire series.

On the other hand, I don't see how the 76ers are going to be able to slow down the seemingly unstoppable, godzilla-like Shaquille O'Neal and the silky-smooth Kobe Bryant enough to beat the Lakers a few more times.

As a hoops junkie who is not yet ready for the basketballs to be put away, I'm just hoping the 76ers can continue overcoming the odds long enough to keep this a suspenseful series that just might go the limit.

* I've had plenty of people ask me why SEMO pitching star Todd Pennington went so low in the draft (46th round) despite having such a dominating season this year.

The bottom line is that major league baseball teams are looking for dominating hurlers who can consistently chuck fastballs well above 90 miles per hour. Pennington doesn't fall into that category.

It's not that guys like Pennington -- who hasn't decided yet if he will turn pro or return to SEMO for his senior season -- can't eventually make it to the major leagues, which are filled with pitchers who don't possess overpowering fastballs.

But teams are going to invest their big money in hurlers who throw some serious heat. That's just the way it always has been and likely always will be.

* If you're like me, you've got plenty of friends who are Cubs fans -- and they're absolutely rubbing it in my face that their favorite team not only recently swept the Cardinals but is leading the NL Central Division.

You know it's a wacky and wild baseball season when the Cubbies are in first place.

~Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.