This looks like another familiar finish for the Lakers

For all you National Basketball Association fans who hate the Lakers and were hoping they would be dethroned, you have only the Kings to blame.

For all you NBA fans who love the Lakers and want to see them three-peat, the celebration appears to be right around the corner.

That about sums up the NBA playoff situation as the Finals head to New Jersey for the next two games and possibly the next three, if the Nets can avoid being swept.

As much as I was hoping that the Finals would be a highly competitive series, it's looking more and more like a basic repeat of last year, when the 76ers fought gamely but were simply overmatched and went down in five.

After two games of the Finals, both fairly routine Los Angeles wins, it looks like popular opinion was right on the money -- the real championship was decided when the Kings and Lakers slugged things out in the Western Conference Finals.

After seven knock-down, drag-out, thrilling battles, all that separated the Western heavyweights were six points -- and that came in overtime of the deciding contest.

And if the Kings had not thrown up so many bricks from the free-throw line in Game 7 -- they hit 16 of 30, which is even bad for a high school team -- they and not the Lakers would be rolling past the Nets right now.

Of course, that's why the Lakers are the Lakers. They have thrived in pressure situations the last three years -- and it doesn't hurt to have Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant on your side, especially Shaq, who is simply too big, strong and skilled for any other center in the league. The big fella is simply amazing.

The Nets are tenacious -- led by stellar point guard Jason Kidd, who is really fun to watch, as was King' point man Mike Bibby -- and I suspect they'll be able to squeeze out a win in New Jersey.

But they simply don't have nearly enough to dethrone Shaq and the Lakers.

The annual baseball draft, held Tuesday and Wednesday, is always interesting and a couple of local players who were selected made that especially true.

Brandon Smith, who had a big senior season for Southeast Missouri State University this year, was taken by Boston in the 18th round, the highest-ever selection of a Southeast player.

Southeast coach Mark Hogan has been raving about Smith's pitching potential for the past four years, but it wasn't until this season that Smith finally put things together.

I had no idea that Smith was thought of that highly by professional scouts. It's not like the 18th round makes you a high draft pick, but it's still pretty impressive.

Also somewhat surprising -- by his own admission -- was the selection of 2001 Central High School graduate Jason Chavez in the 43rd round by San Francisco.

Chavez, who pitched for Mineral Area College this year, had a solid if unspectacular senior season at Central.

But Chavez really turned his game up several notches last summer as the ace for Cape's American Legion team and I remember telling a few people that he could be somebody to watch in the next few years.

The lanky Chavez -- he stands 6-feet-5 and weighs 180 pounds -- is sure to gain weight and strength in the future, which should only help his fastball that he said was clocked at 93 miles per hour this year.

Chavez plans to return to MAC for his sophomore season and what I thought last summer still holds true -- he could definitely be somebody to watch in the next few years.

I'm not a big soccer fan, but it was hard not to get excited by the United States' 3-2 win over Portugal in the World Cup.

I think I might even stay up late and watch the Americans play South Korea early Monday morning.

Marty Mishow is a sports writer for the Southeast Missourian.