Shock the World!! - Philadelphia 76ers Defeated the Los Angeles Lakers

The hype surrounding the start of the 2001 NBA Finals was focused almost entirely on Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers -- and rightfully so. This was a team that had steam rolled its way into the finals, winning eleven straight playoff games and riding a 19-game overall winning streak that dates back to April 1. The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, arrived under very different circumstances.

Two of the Sixers' previous series went the maximum number of games and it took until Sunday for Philadelphia to finally put Milwaukee away. The oddsmakers in Las Vegas had the Lakers as 12 point favorites for last night's game one and Los Angeles opened as 20 to 1 favorites to win the series, the longest odds for an NBA Finals series ever. In fact, the Lakers were listed as an even money bet to sweep Philadelphia in four games, which is also unheard of in a Finals series. Philadelphia entered the game with the League MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year, and the experts did not consider them a threat to win a game, let alone win the series.

Before a raucous and star-studded crowd in Los Angeles last night, Philadelphia opened some eyes, and most likely some wallets. Led by Allen Iverson's record-setting performance, the Sixers pulled off an impossible 107-101 victory in Los Angeles, which robbed L.A. of the home court advantage and turned the NBA Finals into a legitimate title match-up. There will be no sweep, but there should be series to remember.