Season 3, Episode 34- The Alien and the Garden

In this week's episode of "Diehlman at Halftime," Larry and Chris discuss:

NBA Finals discussion
Most impressive rings of all time draft
Game of the Week predictions review

All music written by Larry Diehlman

Release date: Sunday, June 7, 2026

Transcript

Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:15

Hey guys, and welcome to episode number one hundred and five of Dielman at Halftime, the NBA podcast that tops all others. I'm your host, Larry Dielman, joined by my co-host Christy Pietro. If you're joining us for the first time, it's great to have you. And if you've been a regular listener, welcome back. We have a lot to cover today and not a lot of time to do it. We'll look at a general overview of the NBA this week and then discuss some important topics across the association. Let's

NBA Finals: Spurs vs. Knicks

SPEAKER_01 0:54

get to our content for the week. With this being near the end of the NBA season, let's just jump right into the NBA finals and what a series this has been so far. Between the Spurs and the Knicks, the Knicks have a 2-0 lead in the opener of the finals, and the Knicks stole home court advantage from the Spurs, both games in San Antonio, and they have a real chance for getting a sweep at Madison Square Garden. Both games were down to the wire at one point or another. Both games, believe it or not, the Knicks scored 105 points. Game one, it was a 105-95 win for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson took over despite going out with an early injury. There were questions, would he come back or would he be doing his thing? And he put all that to bed. Josh Hart, I noticed, was collecting rebounds like Dennis Rodman. He really didn't score, but he was just a pain in the Spurs' ass trying to get those rebounds and be a pest. The Spurs blew a 14-point lead in game one, and Victor Wembinama with a costly turnover at the end of the game, dribbling the ball off his foot unintentionally, obviously, and the Knicks ran away with that one. Game two, oh my. 105-104 was the final, a slim one. The Spurs, once again, a 12-point lead this time evaporated from their grasp. Wembenyama had a better outing than game one, but he had another costly turnover at the end of the game, which you could argue as miscommunication as well. Dylan Harper has been hot in this series off the bench. He's proven to be a thorn for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson and Carl Anthony Towns took over in game two. Carl Anthony Towns was very aggressive, which is always great to see. But the thing that sealed the game, the Spurs had a fast break opportunity. Victor Weminyama got the ball. He was trying to pass it to Stefan Castle, who was just ahead of him. And Stefan turned his back too early. Wemby threw the ball. So either Wemby didn't expect Steph to turn around or Steph just wasn't paying attention. A miscommunication, the Knicks got the ball, and that was all she wrote. So, Chris, a lot of things going on. This has been a great series. The Spurs youth, I think, is starting to show a little bit as opposed to their last series with the Thunder, despite them winning the championship last year. And game three is already tomorrow, Monday, June 8th, 8:30, at New York. The next two games at Madison Square Garden, as I mentioned a few moments ago. And what's going to be interesting, the Knicks watch parties are going to be canceled for at least game three because President Donald Trump will be in attendance for Game Three. A lot of heightened security, Secret Service will be swarming that building, but it is going to be absolute madness.

SPEAKER_02 3:50

Yeah, um, just another example of our president making things about himself. But uh anyway, NBA finals, Nick Spurs. It's been, uh I don't think people were expecting this sort of start to the series. Well, first of all, I think there were a lot of people that thought San Antonio would get the Knicks out of there um just like that. And we we both thought, and and you know, many other people thought that the Knicks again had a had a much better chance than people were giving them credit for in this series. Um, and it's showing the Knicks have won 13 straight games in this playoffs. That is like almost unprecedented. You never see, you know, runs like that, like hardly ever. I don't I I'm I'm not even sure. That might be a record, 13 straight playoff wins. Like it's unbelievable. But uh yeah, I mean New York's controlled the series so far, and and and like you said, I think San Antonio's see, I I I don't know, because I I I really don't want to say it's it's because of the youth or the or because of the inexperience. They are really just it it's been just a couple of boneheaded plays that have really decided these games. And you know, it's it's so crazy how you know no more than a week or two ago, we were you know saying Wemby was on top of the world, and now NBA finals he has two absolutely gut-wrenching turnovers to to basically cost each respective game. And um and he and he he's really taking it hard in the tunnel after game one. You know, we saw him visibly upset, almost kind of talking to himself, and then after game two in the tunnel, he literally dropped to his knees and started sobbing. So I I think that's cool to see from like a like a like a fan perspective, because uh just to have a superstar that cares so much is cool, but um it's it's wild. We we we we never see a player take this to this magnitude, and um it's gonna it's gonna be really fascinating to see how Wemby and the Spurs shake back in game three on the road, Madison Square Garden. It's gonna be an unbelievable environment in there. But I I really I really have no doubt in Wemby. I still have kind of unwavering faith in him and the San Antonio Spurs. Um, I mean, they've been in both of these games. The Knicks have played really good basketball these last two games. And I think it's really interesting how well the Knicks have performed, despite Jalen Brunson's shooting totals. I mean, it it feels like every game he's shooting like nine for twenty eight, but you know, you're watching the game and it doesn't even feel like that. Um he he's he may be the most efficient, game-changing, you know, 10 for 30 you'll ever see in a box score. Like, like it just doesn't matter. It's it's you get to the fourth quarter and you know he starts turning up. That at the end of game one, I mean, that was that was unbelievable. We I don't think we've seen a small guard dominate like he has, besides maybe arguably Steph Curry, but Steph Curry's taller than him. Uh I you know, like that this this might be the most dominant stretch we've seen from a six to an under player ever. I mean, it is unbelievable what he's doing right now, despite kind of the not so efficient shooting numbers. He has just been been ice cold in this series, and and he has been all playoffs. And you know, I'm I'm really glad that he's starting to kind of earn his respect. Because admittedly, it even took me a little bit to get there with Jalen Brunson, but you know, he he just over and over and over keeps showing up in the clutch, and he is just an unbelievable clutch player. Uh, I mean, what one of if not the best in the league, um, and one of if not the best we've seen in a long time. It's unbelievable what he does down the stretch. Carl Anthony Towns, we have to talk about him. He has been tremendous this playoff run as well, and tremendous in these finals. He is playing the best basketball of his career, no doubt. You know, it's it's bringing up a lot of conversations uh going back to his trade from from Minnesota for Julius Randle. And um, so that's been a hot topic lately, just with how well Carl Anthony Towns has performed. He is really, I think he's realizing his potential right now. He's been a tremendous passer, he's been a willing rebounder, which has been a bit shaky from him in the past. And um he's just shooting really efficiently right now. He's playing aggressive, he's playing controlled. This is the dream, Carl Anthony Towns. Like, this is what we envisioned of him, and this is what we've seen a lot of from him, but maybe not as consistently as we've seen in this playoff run. So he's been terrific. Um, I mean, honestly, and everyone surrounding those two on the Knicks, Ananobi, Mikhail Bridges has really turned it up as of late. Um, Josh Hart, while putting up zero in game two, and obviously not being a primary scoring option on the team, has continued to be Josh Hart, the unbelievable rebounder. Uh, we all know Landry Shamit has been huge. He has been fearless for them. The the Knicks are, you know, like we said, like we've been saying, they're playing the best basketball of their season and the best basketball of this era of Knicks basketball. But despite that, San Antonio, again, is just a couple brutal turnovers away from you know having this be a 1-1 series, maybe even a 2-0 series in San Antonio's direction. So yeah, I mean the the series has lived up to the hype for sure. It's it's it has been such a fun series to watch. Um, the the atmosphere in San Antonio has been unbelievable. We've gotten great games, we've gotten great performances, we've gotten kind of all-time moments. Um, I I think Jalen Brunson down the stretch of game one will be remembered. I think Wemby's turnovers will be remembered for a while. And um, I just spoke about the atmosphere in San Antonio, and man, it it it's it might be tenfold um in Madison Square Garden for the for the NBA finals up 2-0. Uh it's gonna be unbelievable. And you know, the the Knicks have a real chance to put this away quickly, which which which is just crazy. And I I I don't think what many people were expecting here. Knicks going back to MSG up 2-0.

SPEAKER_01 9:26

It'd be really crazy if the Spurs repay the Knicks and tie the series 2-2 so they get the home court back. They have to win.

SPEAKER_02 9:35

They very well could.

SPEAKER_01 9:36

They have to win game three because 3-0 is the dagger. No team has ever come back 3-0 in a playoff series in the NBA, at least. They need to win. If they win tomorrow, they should be okay for now. Going back to your point with the win streak, the Knicks have been on. It is second all time. 13 in a row is second all-time to the Kevin Durant Warriors in 2017. They won 15 straight. They swept the first three rounds, won the three games in the finals. LeBron and the Cavs won game four, and then the Warriors said, Yeah, that's enough for you. That was a 16-1 run for the Warriors, and probably not going to be topped. If the Knicks can't do it, then I don't know really who can. What made game one pretty cool? Chris came over to the crib and we watched it together so we could compare notes and watch Jalen Brunson destroy the clutch. And what really another quote that kind of sums up what people are thinking, Becky Hammond, a WNBA figure, said a while back that small guards really can't be like a 1A on a championship team. And I think people have been kind of going back on her for that. And I think she's been standing on business and saying, like, well, I guess until they actually do it, and you know, I guess they need help around them.

SPEAKER_02 10:53

So kind of an interesting point to that's a fair point because I mean the Knicks have constructed a monster around Brunson. I I mean just unbelievable rebounders, um, unbelievable length, you know, with with Kat and Anobi Hart Bridges. Um, so so they really have constructed the perfect roster, I think, for a small guard who's so ball dominant like Jalen Brunson. Um, but that that's not at all to take away from what Jalen Brunson's doing. Uh he he's he's maybe been the best player at these playoffs.

SPEAKER_01 11:28

I had Nixon six, Chris has Spurs in seven. One of us might be right, but in the games department might be a little questionable. So we'll see how that turns out. Game three.

SPEAKER_02 11:39

You're definitely sitting a bit better than I am right now.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

You got you got the you got the game of the week right, this last one. So I did.

SPEAKER_02 11:45

I did, I'll take it. I'll hang my hat on something.

SPEAKER_01 11:48

So we'll see as our brackets are destroyed, and we'll see how game three pans out in New York. This episode is entitled The Alien and the Garden. So who's raising eyebrows at the moment?

Most Impressive Rings of All Time Draft

SPEAKER_02 12:05

Okay, so in spirit of the NBA finals and um a relatively quiet newsweek out of the NBA because most of the headlines are occupied by the NBA championship. Uh, some would argue that's a big deal. We decided to come up with a little draft, a draft of the most impressive NBA rings in history. Single player. So we're talking LeBron James' 2016 finals run, playoff run, obviously at the big 3-1 comeback against Golden State. We're talking individual playoff long performances that resulted in a championship. Again, it's a s it's a slow news week, and the finals got us pondering on some of the most impressive rings in NBA history. Because honestly, if Jalen Brunson pulls this off, I mean, I mean, he he he could crack this draft, uh, honestly. Which is just knowing the the reputation and uh of of the small guard and you know hit him beating a player who's gonna go down as one of the best ever, you know, if the Knicks are to pull this off, you know, he's he's gonna have to be in this discussion, I think. So yeah, Larry and I are gonna draft our most impressive playoff runs, our our most impressive rings. Um so Larry, if you if you would like to get us kicked off here, I will I will give you the honor of the number one selection in our all-time title run draft. Who's gonna be the first pick? I have a feeling I know who it's gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Well, I thank you, kind sir, for giving me the number one pick. With the first pick in the most impressive rings draft, I am selecting Dirk Novitsky 2011.

SPEAKER_02 13:46

Wow, okay.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

Dirk Novitsky and the Dallas Mavericks back in the 2010-11 season, considered one of the purest finals runs in NBA history, and you could probably argue sports history as well. Dirk Novitzki had gone many years without a ring, and he never really had like a super team around him. He had a lot of good supporting players, but I don't think if you compare it to super teams in like today's era or even back in the day, you could really be like, you know, wow, that's that's a super team right there. So Dirk was kind of getting to that point. All right, it's time to get a ring. Dirk Novitsky beat the Portland Trailblazers, swept Kobe Bryant's Lakers, gentlemen swept the Baby Thunder. That's when Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant were a thing, and they defeated the Heat super team in its first season, also known as the Heatles. That was just one playoff run. LeBron James in the 2010 offseason, like before the 10-11 actual season, LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers to team up with Chris Bosch and Dwayne Wade on the Miami Heat, and he became the NBA villain overnight. Everybody hated him. Cavs fans were burning jerseys. He was booed relentlessly when he went back to Cleveland when he made his return as a visitor, and he just became the villain overnight. And the Heat, you know, they made the finals all four years that LeBron was in South Beach. First year, they go to the finals, and Dirk Novitsky pulls off one of the greatest upsets ever. And LeBron has been clowned for his entire career of his 2011 finals run. I think he had like eight points in a finals game, which is not going to get it done considering that was when he was in his prime. Dirk Novitsky, unfortunately, that was his only title win in his epic 21-year career with the Mavericks, but definitely one of the greatest runs of all time. And just to give you some stats here, Dirk averaged 27.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game that postseason, Chris, on nearly 50-40-90 shooting, 48.5% from the field, 46 from three, 94.1% from the free throw line. Arguably cementing Dirk as a Hall of Famer in NBA history. 50-40-90 shooting nearly, 27 points per game, getting rid of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and the Heatles in one postseason. Absolutely disgusting and worthy of the top pick in my draft.

SPEAKER_02 16:29

I think he's worthy. I was expecting him to be on my team because Larry, you were just so kind uh to gift me with the second pick in our all-time title run draft, LeBron's legendary 2016 title run. Um he averaged 26 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in the playoffs, and obviously the headliner of this playoff run, the huge first in history, 3-1 comeback in the NBA finals against a legendary Warriors team. Uh LeBron had 41 points in game five and game six, and then he had 27 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists in game seven uh to close it out on the road. And on top of that, one of the greatest moments, one of the best plays in NBA history, the block over Andre Igadala pinning his layup off the backboard late in the fourth quarter, blocked by James. Um, an iconic play.

SPEAKER_01 17:33

There might be one better now. What about Luke Cornette blocking Isaiah Hartenstein in the Western Conference Finals?

SPEAKER_02 17:38

I mean, that's a great point. Blocked by Cornet, I mean, is is neck and neck with blocked by James. Of course, of course. But um, I mean, arguably the most iconic moment in the career of arguably the greatest player of all time. Um, I I I think no doubt the the block is the best play of his career. Um, even though he has so many, you know, game winners and incredible performances, I think that that block was just just just on a on a different level. And uh yeah, it was just an electric playoff run and with maybe the most impressive feat in NBA finals history uh to cap it off. So I'm gonna take LeBron's uh 2016 title run with with the second pick. And that leaves me with uh two options I'm looking at here with my third pick. I think I'm going to go with the third pick in our title run draft. I'm gonna take Hakeem Elijawan in 1995. He he averaged 33 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in that playoffs. Um, round one, where the series was best of five, he had a 2-1 comeback, uh, won three to two in that series. Then in round two, moved to a best of seven series, um, which it which it would continue to be for the rest of the playoffs. Um came back down three one um in round two in the Western Conference Finals. He beat the MVP David Robinson that year, and then he swept Shaq in the finals. So just a an unbelievably dominant playoff run by the numbers, and um just looking at the caliber of opponents he beat and and the comebacks the Rockets had that year. Um I mean I mean 33, 10, 5, and 3. That is that is that is unbelievable. And you know, given given who he was doing that against uh David Robinson and Shaq in the in the last two rounds of the playoffs and uh pulling off those those very unfavorable early run deficits in the series. Uh again, came back down 2-1, came back down 3-1 the following round. I wasn't all too familiar with this run as I was born in 2004. So so Hakeem's ring had probably gathered a bit of dust on it by the time I was even born. Um, but yeah, I'm I'm gonna take him with the third pick in this draft and uh and my second pick.

SPEAKER_01 19:56

Yeah, it was probably getting dust. I was a 2000 baby. So or we could we could, Chris. We could be like LeBron when he's predicting the future. Like, you know, when we came out of our our mother's womb, we just knew Hakeem Elajouan just made these runs.

SPEAKER_02 20:11

Yeah, we just knew. We just knew he was gonna go crazy in 1995. Just had a feeling.

SPEAKER_01 20:15

I didn't know you had that in your bag over there with Hakeem in the 95 final.

SPEAKER_02 20:20

I got another throwback I'm I'm I'm looking at right here. And I'm I'm hoping you don't take him because he he's he's very high up on my list. I almost took him.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Interestingly, with the Rockets getting the repeat in the mid-90s, those were the two years Michael Jordan was that was his first retirement, or if you want to go in the conspiracies of his gambling suspension, but the Rockets, you know, won those middle two years. So good points from Chris taking LeBron and Hakeem with those picks in the middle of our draft. And then for my second pick and the fourth pick in our draft, hmm, got some good ones here. I'm gonna go with Kawhi Leonard in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors. Kawhi was traded from the San Antonio Spurs to the Raptors prior to the 2018-19 season, and they went on one of the more legendary runs in the history of the NBA in Kawhi's lone season in the North. The legendary buzzer beating series clinching shot versus the 76ers sent the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Finals, the quadruple doink, which we do not like to talk about on this podcast. And as we mentioned with Josh Reynolds a few weeks ago. Kauai's Raptors also in the finals took down the injured yet strong Kevin Durant Warriors to end Golden State's three year reign of terror with Kevin Durant, and that's kind of when it all fell apart. The Warriors, they won in 2017, 2018. They probably would have won for the three P in 2019, but Kevin Durant's Achilles. Exploded, Klay Thompson, his ACL exploded, and they were just they were running on fumes. Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and the rest of the Warriors, Andre Iguidala, like there was only so much they could do. Kawhi was just on an absolute heater that postseason. And then in the offseason, despite giving the Raptors their first NBA championship, Kawhi would piece out and he dipped for the LA Clippers that summer. There were rumors he was maybe going to stay with the Raptors. Maybe he was going to go with LeBron to the Lakers. And he said, I'm going to the Clippers. He got Paul George, the Shea Gilgish Alexander swap. And, you know, we've talked about that many times. The rest is history on that part. So maybe Kawhi is responsible for the Thunder. But despite the one year in Toronto, Kawhi Leonard with an awesome run. You could probably argue they had a chance to go back to back or put up a hell of a fight in the 2020 finals, but we will never know. Kawhi is my second pick. And then for my third pick, I know I'm going a little more modern here. I know I've been taking the old picks in our recent drafts. Don't take him. Don't take him. I'm going to go LeBron and the bubble ring. Yeah, that's cool, actually. Good. For my third. Oh crap, I didn't take yours. So I'll go LeBron and the Lakers in the 2020 bubble. The Lakers had traded for Anthony Davis prior to the 2019-20 season. If you remember, this was the COVID year and the short-ended NBA season. COVID-19 forced the NBA to halt the season, and then they resumed in the Walt Disney World bubble in the wide world of sports. They resumed the season in the summer. It was weird because the finals were like in October and like the playoffs started in August. So it was kind of weird with that. The Lakers, gentlemen, swept, so five games. Every series, except for the finals against the Heat, which went to six. Jimmy Butler, that was one of his great runs, but it was no match for LeBron. No one had home court advantage in these playoffs because of the bubble. They were all in Florida. They were all in Walt Disney World. No one had home court advantage. Remember, there were no fans. You really couldn't bring many family members in. If you like broke the rules in any shape or form, there's, I forget who it was. Like somebody brought like a girlfriend in or I don't know, a hooker, or I don't know what, into the room and they like booted them out of the bubble. They had really strict rules because this was when there was no vaccine. Nobody knew what the hell COVID was. They didn't want to get anybody else sick. So you got booted. You had a quarantine for like 10 days in your room. It was insanity. So nobody had home court advantage, but everyone had a few months of rest before the season and the playoffs resumed. Because when you get to the playoffs, like the Spurs and the Knicks right now, they are running on fumes. You know those players are looking forward to vacation. They want the ring, but you know they're tired. In the bubble, everybody was well rested. Everybody had a game plan. There were no fans. They had like the digital fans on the screen and stuff. And like you saw in ballparks, they had like the cardboard cutouts, but no one had home court advantage. Everyone had rest. And depending on what you may think, well, this was a Mickey Mouse ring, you know, a Disney and whatever you want to call it, whether it was a real ring or not, or put an asterisk next to it, you have to consider it one of the greater ones just because of the circumstances and how COVID really affected the world at the time. And you think about it too, back in 2020, I think the Lakers were kind of destined to win anyway because that was the year that Kobe Bryant tragically perished in a helicopter crash. So I think that was just kind of meant to be. So I will put LeBron's 2020 ring as my final selection.

SPEAKER_02 25:49

That's a fair pick. That wasn't on my list, but I I also am definitely not of the camp of people that think that was some like unimpressive championship. I mean, though those were really like circumstances we will never see probably ever again for a group of contending teams, um, uh what they had to deal with. And it was weird. It was like nothing we've ever seen. It's like nothing we've ever we will ever probably see again. And you know, I I I did think it it was hard for some players to adjust, and you know, uh LeBron and the Lakers got it done. And you know, people try and paint it out as like, oh, they were just playing in a gym. It did it didn't feel like they were there were any stakes or anything. Like, nah, I don't buy into that. I mean, it it was just so weird and unique, and everyone had to adjust. And I mean, I think you could argue it the opposite way, saying that that might even be harder than a a regular championship run in in regular circumstances, uh, with no global pandemic happening. Uh, but uh yeah, it's a solid pick, but I am between a finals run from 2003 and from 2021, and I think I'm gonna go with Giannis Ansa de Kumbo's 2021 title run.

SPEAKER_01 26:58

We're just going in order, aren't we? 19, 20, 21.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

I mean, we saw some legendary runs for from those years for sure. They they swept the heat round one, Giannis and the Bucs. Uh, they had a 2-0 comeback the following round against the Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Brooklyn Nets team. Giannis hurt his knee in the conference finals against Atlanta, but the Bucs are able to pull it off. Um, and they match up in the NBA finals against the Phoenix Suns. The Suns quickly go up 2-0, and then you know, Giannis just locked in. Um, he averaged 35 points, 13 rebounds, five assists in those finals, um, and capped it off with arguably the best lob finish in NBA history. Earlier, I picked a title run that included probably the best block in NBA history. And now here with Giannis in 2021, I am picking a run that included what I think is probably the best lob finish in NBA history. Game six. I mean, he he it looked like he took off from the three-point line and threw it down and won uh to seal the game. Just an unbelievable play, an iconic play. Uh probably the most iconic play of Giannis's career, as was LeBron's block was of his career. You know, not only did he have that unreal finish in that game six, he also put up 50 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists. I believe he's the only player since 2000 to have multiple 40 point 10 rebound games in a finals. He he was just he was just dominant. And um again, he he he stepped up down 2-0 against a super team on paper in that in that Brooklyn Nets season with with KD, Kyrie, and Harden. And then in the finals, down 2-0 yet again was able to really turn it up, was just unbelievable for the remainder of that series. And you know, I really like Giannis, and I I think it's awesome that you know he got his shine and he stepped up in the biggest way possible um with having such a dominant playoff run. And I I think that will be kind of the the hallmark year of his career. Um, but I was really between him and Tim Duncan in 2003. Uh Duncan was the regular season and the finals MVP that year. He carried an aging David Robinson and a kind of three prime version of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli. They had a pretty swift run. I don't think any game went to seven. He averaged 25, 15, 5, and 3 blocks in the playoffs. And then in game six against the New Jersey Nets, led by Jason Kidd, Duncan had 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and eight blocks in that game six to win the championship. So um honestly, pretty, pretty comparable runs from from Duncan and Giannis. But uh I'm I'm gonna give the slight edge to Giannis here, maybe a bit of recency bias. But um, man, that lob, that dunk will will live in my head forever. That's one of my favorite plays of all time. Um it was just unbelievable. So I'm gonna take Giannis with my third pick, but um Tim Duncan 2003, we're happy to have you come off our bench here.

SPEAKER_01 29:57

All right, so Tim Duncan is your honorable mention, I would assume.

SPEAKER_02 30:00

You could say that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:01

All right, well, I'm gonna counter that with my own honorable mention to wrap up our greatest rings of all time draft. Although, out of all these picks that we've said, this is the only one in a losing effort, and that is Tyrese Halliburton in the 2025 finals just last year.

SPEAKER_02 30:21

Well, listen, I'm gonna have to consult the commissioner about this because I don't know if we can take a title run that did not include a title. All right Larry, you are ri you are really bending the rules here. But it's an honorable mention. I'll let it fly. But but but listen, I mean, you might get a $500,000 fine for this, but but go ahead, plead your case.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

The Pacers went on one of the more insane championship runs of all time. They gentlemen swept the Bucks and the Cavs. Tyrese Halliburton had a game winner or buzzer beater or whatever in every round of the playoffs. He pulled off the iconic Reggie Miller choke symbol at Madison Square Garden at the buzzer. He thought it was for the win, but after they reviewed it, his foot was on the three-point line, so they went to overtime. They did win that game, so it's not like he did it in a defeat. That would have been embarrassing. He would have been memed for that for sure. And then they took the Thunder to seven games. Now, no one thought the Thunder were going to get pushed that far. The Pacers came out of nowhere last year. Game seven against Oklahoma City will forever be one of the greatest what-ifs just because Tyrese Halliburton started that game off so well. He hit three or four shots from three, and then it happened. The injury, his Achilles exploded, and that was the end of Tyrese Halliburton. The Thunder took over the rest of the way, and we will forever be wondering: does Oklahoma City even have a ring right now? Had Tyrese Halliburton stayed in the game obviously healthy, not like, oh, you know, you have a torn Achilles, get back out there, champ.

SPEAKER_02 32:01

Like, no, I don't think they're that they're pulling around on the floor. He somehow pulls it off, drops 45 points.

SPEAKER_01 32:06

Yeah, I don't think I don't think Rick Carlisle is that heartless to be like, get out there, champ. Like just put a band-aid on it. Um wear like an ice pack on that leg. It's just it's it was one of those things where after that moment, the Thunder probably figured, yeah, it's this is our championship, but you have to.

SPEAKER_02 32:24

Hey, and and that that was that was still a game until really the fourth quarter. TJ McConnell really started to turn up in that third quarter. We we thought we might have had ourselves a game.

SPEAKER_01 32:32

Of course, of course, another Sixers player that thrives on other teams, but we won't go there.

SPEAKER_02 32:38

Yeah, we could we could we could make this an eight-hour podcast about all of them.

SPEAKER_01 32:42

The Pacers, they had that one year last year, and then this year they had no chance this year. They were injured prone, they made some trades. Next year, we hope to see them back in the fold of the Eastern Conference. Last year it was just unreal, and the Thunder took that. But Tyree Tallibird, you know, losing effort is going to be my honorable mention.

Game of the Week Predictions Review

SPEAKER_01 33:11

And finally, let's get to our game of the week. Oh, wait a second. There is no game of the week, as I said last week, given that we are in the NBA finals, and at this point, there's really not a point for game of the week because we know what it is. So these last few episodes, we will be doing things in lieu of game of the week. For this episode, we will be doing a game of the week predictions review as we've done every year. So, what this section includes, I crunched the numbers, Chris. I did the math painstakingly by hand because I am psychotic. I went back and crunched the numbers, all 33 game of the week predictions for the 25-26 season, and got some interesting data. Now, how did we get to this 33, even though today's episode is number 34? There were no games of the week for our five special edition episodes. So, for example, our power rankings predictions, our playoff bracket, and the all-star weekend trade deadline. We did not do games of the week for them. We did five in one for our Christmas slate. We did all five Christmas Day games in that episode. And then there was a week later in the season, if you remember, we did both Timberwolves and Cavaliers weekend series, I'm gonna call it. We did both of those games in the same episode because they were in the same weekend, so I figured why not? So that's how we got our 33. Now I broke it down into different sections here. Closest prediction, average margin of victory for predictions versus the actual result, and how many Chris and I got correct and incorrect, or if you just want to call it a ratio. I think they're kind of obvious with what they mean. The margin of victory thing, I went back and tallied all of the predictions. So, for example, for a game, if I said the Sixers were gonna win by seven points and Chris said they were gonna win by nine points, I tallied all those up, took the average, and that was like how many points we thought the team would win by in that particular game, and then the actual like how many points, and tallied them all up. So we're gonna start with the average margin of victory for the predictions versus the actual, and we'll make our way to the more interesting results. For me, my average margin of victory prediction was 7.3 points per game. On average, I was thinking the team would win by about seven points. For Chris, seven point eight. So he was a little bit higher.

SPEAKER_02 35:52

Okay. That checks out, I suppose.

SPEAKER_01 35:54

However, Chris was closer to the actual result, even though neither one of us was relatively close anyway. The actual 12.2 points per game. And when I was crunching the numbers, there were quite a few blowouts, a couple 40 burgers, and yeah, it kind of got ugly. Like the Spurs Sixers, when they did that throwback game. Oh man, that was a 40-point blowout.

SPEAKER_02 36:18

Yeah, like I turned that game off in the first quarter. There was like a insufferable.

SPEAKER_01 36:22

There was like a Clippers game somewhere. It was like a 40-point blowout.

SPEAKER_02 36:26

So you know, Larry, it it's like most of our game of the weeks are yeah, well, you know, they're regular, they're mostly regular season games, and they're between two teams we we usually thought were pretty good. And when you go into it with that mindset, you're predicting a close game because the most of the game of the week's were between, you know, two pretty solid teams. But, you know, it it it's hard to, you know, if you have a I don't know, like you mentioned earlier, like if you have a Timberwolves Cavs game of the week, it's like, you know, those are two good teams. Like you're not gonna predict a blowout. So I'm not surprised to see that our margin of victory was lower than the actual average margin of victory for for our game of the weeks. But you know, I'm not surprised I took the crown in this metric. And you know, you might as well just hand the rest of the crowns right over to me. So yeah, yeah, go ahead. Go ahead. Just just read them off.

SPEAKER_01 37:18

So that was the average margin of victory predictions versus the actual. Next, we will go to closest prediction. Now, I took this into account, I took this into account for both of us, whether it was we almost got the score correct. No one did, by the way. We got the score nearly correct. We don't have a single score correct the whole season. No. Dang. I have in three seasons, I have not either, so don't fret. Either the score was right or the same margin, so like we each predicted, oh, we thought they win by six points, and the team actually won by six points, or you know, whatever. So I went back and I I looked at the games that I thought were relatively close. Surprisingly, you had more games that were really close. I had one that was almost on the money. I gave you two for closest, and I gave myself one. So starting with me, my closest was our game of the week back on March 14th. The Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat. My prediction for that one was Magic 117-113, the actual Magic 121-117. Nearly the right numbers each were a four-point spread. Then going over to David Christian DiPietro. That's me. With a tie of what I thought was insanely close. Hornets Rockets on February 5th. Chris's prediction for this game was Rockets 107-99. The actual Hornets 109-99. Nearly the correct score, wrong team. I had to put that in there. His second one, Nuggets, Spurs, April 12th, right before the playoffs started. Prediction, Spurs 128-120. Actual Nuggets 128-118. Again, wrong team off by two points.

SPEAKER_02 39:21

Okay, I got the margins pretty close, at least, I'll take it.

SPEAKER_01 39:23

I will throw in an honorable mention as well. Thunder Spurs, game five of the Western Conference Finals, which was just a few episodes ago. Now, we weren't relatively close to the actual score, but Chris and I nearly had identical predictions that we did not collaborate on. My prediction was Thunder 109-104. Chris's was Thunder 109-103, the actual Thunder 127-114. So neither one of us was close, but the fact we were almost on target was crazy.

SPEAKER_02 39:56

Yeah, we were on the same wavelength for sure.

SPEAKER_01 39:58

Chris, any thoughts on the prediction section?

SPEAKER_02 40:01

You know, I'm honestly shocked. Um, you know, I honestly shocked I didn't get any exactly correct scores. Um, I'm not exactly shocked that you didn't and that you haven't in three seasons. Wow. Um I just had to get that off my chest. And, you know, I beat you in in in the in the close in the closeness quantity. Um just just another crown for me in our game of the week wrap-up. So yeah, just that that doesn't shock me uh whatsoever, honestly. Um, but but yeah, I'm I'm I'm floored. I didn't get one exactly correct. I was expecting, you know, before the season, if if we were gonna have 30 game of the weeks, I would have maybe 15 on the money um exact team at score. Unfortunately, did not meet my standard, but you know, you live and you learn. So um shout out shout out the Hornets and Conkin Nipples and all them for proving me wrong.

SPEAKER_01 40:53

I had one last year in season two that I was almost on the money. It was closer.

SPEAKER_02 40:58

Closer than any of ours?

SPEAKER_01 41:00

It was Grizzly Sons. I nearly had I got the team right, I nearly had the right score. I was off by two points, and that that really just like so I was probably closer than any of ours this season, it sounds like. And lastly, probably the section we've all been waiting for, how many we actually got correct versus incorrect? Now, as I mentioned a few moments ago, there were 33 possible choices.

SPEAKER_02 41:24

A nice odd number, so we will have a winner.

SPEAKER_01 41:26

Chris has been happy to see that he's racking up these crowns.

SPEAKER_02 41:30

So I'm getting my third, right? You know, of course.

SPEAKER_01 41:33

Chris has been racking up these crowns, but he is not going for the sweet boy, because I got this one. Let's go.

SPEAKER_02 41:40

How close was it? How close was it? It had to have been like 17, 16 or something.

SPEAKER_01 41:45

Chris had 14 correct to 19.

SPEAKER_02 41:48

Ah, god dang it.

SPEAKER_01 41:49

14 correct to 19 incorrect for an average of 42.4%, and then I came away on top here with 17 correct and 16 incorrect for an average of 51.5%. And what makes this even sweeter was the comeback that I had. I think like the first five weeks in a row, I was crushing you. I got like five in a row wrong, and then I heated up at the end.

SPEAKER_02 42:17

I fumbled. I fumbled.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

So Chris got the gentleman sweep, and I got this one right. There were a lot of them where he was getting them right, and even this last game of the week that we said earlier with the Spurs and Knicks, where I said Spurs get game one, but the Knicks get the series, and he said Knicks game one, but the Spurs get the series. He got that one correct as well.

SPEAKER_02 42:38

We'll probably both be wrong in totality. Yeah. If the Knicks take this one home.

SPEAKER_01 42:42

So this will be like Knicks and four, Knicks and five. Somebody will come out of nowhere. You know, maybe Adam Silver will just crown the Thunder champions again. He'll just use executive power or something. Make both of us wrong. So Chris, you could not get the sweep.

SPEAKER_02 42:56

Well, uh, well, hey, you know, I I'm glad to know it was competitive. Uh, you know, you know, uh Larry, Lawrence Crescenzo, I'm a competitive guy. And, you know, it was a it was it was a great fight between us, I think. Um a great challenge uh for both of our organizations. But you know, I'm I'm I'm glad I'm glad you're not going home empty-handed in our game of the week metric battle. But uh yeah, I mean, you you took home, I think, the most important one of all. Because, you know, uh an exact score prediction, I mean, I mean, that's like uh that's like throwing darts. So I I think picking the winner is probably more important. Uh Larry, you're taking home the most important crown of them all. So, so respect to you. Um, you know, from from competitor to competitor, it's all respect and and congratulations.

SPEAKER_01 43:39

Why thank you, thank you. Same to you. Appreciate that. I I think I think it's more like we won the championship, like Chris got the championship, but I got like finals MVP or something.

SPEAKER_02 43:48

Yeah, it's like a it's like it's like a it's like a Steph Curry Andre Godala situation. Like Andre Godala like totally didn't deserve it, and like definitely should have been Steph Curry, but like yeah, you know, it's it's it's like we had to give Iggy something.

SPEAKER_01 43:59

So that was kind of like Larry when he was like, when you when you when you like hold LeBron to like a 30-point triple double and you still get finals MVP, I mean that's that's all there. Yeah. So those were the results from our game of the week predictions review, and definitely good to crunch the numbers there.

SPEAKER_02 44:18

You know, yeah, fun exercise for sure.

SPEAKER_01 44:20

Game of the week will be put to bed for the remainder of this season as the finals are possibly getting to the end.

Conclusion

SPEAKER_01 44:38

Well, that's all the time we have for today. If you haven't already, make sure to follow the podcast accounts, Chris and me on social media. The three podcast accounts on Instagram, TikTok, and X or Twitter are under at Dialman at half. My personal ex and Instagram are at Larry Dialman. Chris's personal ex and Instagram are at Chris Dippy. All seven handles are in the description on BuzzSprout, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember, although you can find Dialman at Halftime on major podcasting platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube, the main podcast website is on Buzz Sprout. The website URL is Dialman at Halftime.buzzsprout.com. Feel free to send a comment by using the send us a text button located in each episode's bio. With the exception of Apple Podcasts, the text option is available on Buzz Sprout and all the major platforms. Your comment could end up in the fan mail section of the Buzz Sprout website. And don't forget to spread the word about Dilman at halftime. Since the finals are nearing the end, or at least we're two games in, it depends on the result. But we are coming up to our last few episodes of the season. If the finals wrap up this week in either four or five games, next week's episode will be our season finale. But if the finals go to either six or seven games, there'll be two more episodes. So stay tuned for that. We'll see how the finals pan out in these next couple games. See you next time, fellow hoops fans.