CONTEST: Post your guess here to win a free Fanatic book by Chris Williams - WINNER CHOSEN

[cyclones500]

The result of Game 3:

THUNDER - 123​

SPURS - 108​

Now for the most anticipated announcement of 2026.

I chose the winner by following these three steps:

1.) Correct winning team: THUNDER VICTORY​

2.) Total points ranked: (123 + 108) = 231 TOTAL PTS​

3.) Margin of victory ranked: (123 - 108) = 15 PTS MARGIN​

Out of 19 correct guesses, I added your total points ranking and your margin of victory ranking to arrive at a final number. Lowest overall number = winner.

DRUMROLL

Congrats to @bsaltyman who easily won with their guess of OKC 117 - SA 105, which finished 3rd in both categories for an overall score of 6 points.

On the other end, @vacyclone secured the #1 overall draft pick for next season by nosing out @NENick.

The final overall ranking and stats below:

1.) bsaltyman: 117 - 105 (222 TOTAL; t3rd) + (12 MARGIN; 3rd) = 6 PTS​

t2.) zeke: 121 - 99 (220 TOTAL; 5th) + (22 MARGIN; 9th) = 14 PTS​

t2.) cycub51: 112 - 101 (213 TOTAL; t9th) + (11 MARGIN; t5th) = 14 PTS​

t2.) boomerclone: 112 - 101 (213 TOTAL; t9th) + (11 MARGIN; t5th) = 14 PTS​

​

t5.) shadow: 112 - 96 (208 TOTAL; t14) + (16 MARGIN; 1st) = 15 PTS​

t5.) cycrazy: 112 - 103 (215 TOTAL; 8th) + (9 MARGIN; t7th) = 15 PTS​

t7.) g4ce: 111 - 102 (213 TOTAL; t9th) + (9 MARGIN; t7th) = 16 PTS​

t7.) ernied: 121 - 117 (238 TOTAL; 1st) + (4 MARGIN; 15th) = 16 PTS​

​

t9.) javinegli: 112 - 105 (217 TOTAL; 7th) + (7 MARGIN; t11th) = 18 PTS​

t9.) cysmurf: 121 - 118 (239 TOTAL; 2nd) + (3 MARGIN; t16th) = 18 PTS​

t9.) cyputz: 111 - 92 (203 TOTAL; 16th) + (17 MARGIN; 2nd) = 18 PTS​

t12.) intrepid27: 118 - 95 (213 TOTAL; t9th) + (23 MARGIN; t11th) = 20 PTS​

​

t12.) cypwr: 112 - 107 (219 TOTAL; 6th) + (5 MARGIN; 14th) = 20 PTS​

14.) algonacy: 110 - 90 (200 TOTAL; 18th) + (20 MARGIN; 3rd) = 21 PTS​

15.) bozclone: 112 - 110 (222 TOTAL; t3rd) + (2 MARGIN; 19th) = 22 PTS​

16.) casey1973: 107 - 99 (208 TOTAL; t14th) + (8 MARGIN; 9th) = 23 PTS​

​

17.) tailg8er: 108 - 101 (209 TOTAL; 13th) + (7 MARGIN; t11th) = 24 PTS​

18.) nenick: 102 - 99 (201 TOTAL; 17th) + (3 MARGIN; t16th) = 33 PTS​

19.) vacyclone: 100 - 97 (197 TOTAL; 19th) + (3 MARGIN; t16th) = 34 PTS​

Thanks to everyone

Nice work on that. I was wondering how you planned to score it.

 

[bsaltyman]

The result of Game 3:

THUNDER - 123​

SPURS - 108​

Now for the most anticipated announcement of 2026.

I chose the winner by following these three steps:

1.) Correct winning team: THUNDER VICTORY​

2.) Total points ranked: (123 + 108) = 231 TOTAL PTS​

3.) Margin of victory ranked: (123 - 108) = 15 PTS MARGIN​

Out of 19 correct guesses, I added your total points ranking and your margin of victory ranking to arrive at a final number. Lowest overall number = winner.

DRUMROLL

Congrats to @bsaltyman who easily won with their guess of OKC 117 - SA 105, which finished 3rd in both categories for an overall score of 6 points.

On the other end, @vacyclone secured the #1 overall draft pick for next season by nosing out @NENick.

The final overall ranking and stats below:

1.) bsaltyman: 117 - 105 (222 TOTAL; t3rd) + (12 MARGIN; 3rd) = 6 PTS​

t2.) zeke: 121 - 99 (220 TOTAL; 5th) + (22 MARGIN; 9th) = 14 PTS​

t2.) cycub51: 112 - 101 (213 TOTAL; t9th) + (11 MARGIN; t5th) = 14 PTS​

t2.) boomerclone: 112 - 101 (213 TOTAL; t9th) + (11 MARGIN; t5th) = 14 PTS​

​

t5.) shadow: 112 - 96 (208 TOTAL; t14) + (16 MARGIN; 1st) = 15 PTS​

t5.) cycrazy: 112 - 103 (215 TOTAL; 8th) + (9 MARGIN; t7th) = 15 PTS​

t7.) g4ce: 111 - 102 (213 TOTAL; t9th) + (9 MARGIN; t7th) = 16 PTS​

t7.) ernied: 121 - 117 (238 TOTAL; 1st) + (4 MARGIN; 15th) = 16 PTS​

​

t9.) javinegli: 112 - 105 (217 TOTAL; 7th) + (7 MARGIN; t11th) = 18 PTS​

t9.) cysmurf: 121 - 118 (239 TOTAL; 2nd) + (3 MARGIN; t16th) = 18 PTS​

t9.) cyputz: 111 - 92 (203 TOTAL; 16th) + (17 MARGIN; 2nd) = 18 PTS​

t12.) intrepid27: 118 - 95 (213 TOTAL; t9th) + (23 MARGIN; t11th) = 20 PTS​

​

t12.) cypwr: 112 - 107 (219 TOTAL; 6th) + (5 MARGIN; 14th) = 20 PTS​

14.) algonacy: 110 - 90 (200 TOTAL; 18th) + (20 MARGIN; 3rd) = 21 PTS​

15.) bozclone: 112 - 110 (222 TOTAL; t3rd) + (2 MARGIN; 19th) = 22 PTS​

16.) casey1973: 107 - 99 (208 TOTAL; t14th) + (8 MARGIN; 9th) = 23 PTS​

​

17.) tailg8er: 108 - 101 (209 TOTAL; 13th) + (7 MARGIN; t11th) = 24 PTS​

18.) nenick: 102 - 99 (201 TOTAL; 17th) + (3 MARGIN; t16th) = 33 PTS​

19.) vacyclone: 100 - 97 (197 TOTAL; 19th) + (3 MARGIN; t16th) = 34 PTS​

Thanks to everyone

Thank you @Kagavi for putting this together and for your generosity!

I thought my chances to win would be pretty slim, but I guess I got lucky!

 

[Kagavi]

Nice work on that. I was wondering how you planned to score it.

Yeah I got lucky, cuz after the game I realized I had no plan. Spent a while crunching numbers and I think this was the best way to do it. Need to have a tiebreaker in the future, maybe the high scorer for the game and their points

 

[Kagavi]

Thank you @Kagavi for putting this together and for your generosity!

I thought my chances to win would be pretty slim, but I guess I got lucky!

The generosity of @Cycsk too.

Right now I'm thinking about how to do the next contest, which will be one of my puzzles. Back when I did the Trice Pendleton blankets wayyyyyy back in the day, I did a few of these puzzles to give away stuff, so if people remember those, there you go.

Not sure how I should do it, because I don't necessarily want it to be first to solve. I want to even it out a little bit with people who may not see the thread immediately.

I think I'll make a post announcing it and then at a point in the future, maybe within a day or two, I'll edit the initial post to have the puzzle then first to solve in the comments wins. Then people can submit their guesses. Not sure if I should let people have multiple guesses.

Good idea?

If anyone has other suggestions about how I should do this, let me know here.

EDIT: Maybe a better way is to have two parts, initial puzzle released immediately, then a set date in the future for part two to be edited into the initial post. Solution for part 1 = key for part 2.

 

[Cycsk]

I don't have an answer, but whatever you do, please try to make it stimulate activity so that it remains on the first page of results for "new posts."