THE DALY BUCKET
🏀Hoops. Heat. Highlights.
By Joey Daly • Volume 1, Issue 2 • Week of May 2, 2026
📋 THE RUNDOWN
Round 1 was bonkers
Okay. THREE GAME 7s in the Eastern Conference. All of them. Cavs/Raptors. Celtics/76ers. Pistons/Magic. The East has gone completely off the rails and I am here for every second of it.
The play of the round: RJ Barrett hit a three-pointer with 1.9 seconds left in OVERTIME to give the Raptors a 112-110 win and force a Game 7 against Cleveland. The Toronto bench LOST it. Tape that one up on your wall.
The wild West: The Wolves shocked Denver in 6 games. Even CRAZIER — they did it after Ant Edwards got hurt in Game 4. (More on that in the Ant-Man Report below — buckle up.)
What to watch tonight: Celtics vs 76ers Game 7 at 7:30 PM ET. Win-or-go-home in Boston. If Brown shows up like he has all year, this should be over by the third quarter. But Maxey + Embiid have made it a series.
🌅 West Round 1
🌃 East Round 1
🎯 GAME 7 CENTRAL
Pick your winners — see Joey's takes
⚡ Personal Stakes ⚡
Tonight Hits Different.
I'm a Sixers fan. So this Game 7 isn't just any game — it's MY team in Boston for everything. AND my dad promised that if Philly beats the Celtics, he's taking me to a Round 2 quarter-finals game in person. I'm not even kidding — I'll be glued to the TV tonight. LET'S GO PHILLY. 🔥
Three Game 7s in the East. Pick a winner — Joey's take appears after you choose.
(2) Celtics vs (7) 76ers
TONIGHT — May 2, 7:30 PM ET(1) Pistons vs (8) Magic
May 3, 3:30 PM ET(4) Cavaliers vs (5) Raptors
TBD — Game 7 forced🧪 BRACKET LAB
Build your Round 2 bracket
Tap a team to make your pick, then hit See Joey's Pick to compare.
🌅 WEST
vs
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🌃 EAST
vs
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🐜 ANT-MAN REPORT
The Anthony Edwards section
Ant Lit Denver UP — Then His Knee Said Nope
Round 1 was the most Ant Edwards thing ever. He went off for 41 points in Game 2 — a Wolves franchise playoff record. 36 in Game 3. Then in Game 4 he had 34 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks AND hit a clutch three to win it in OT. 114-108. I was screaming.
Game 1
—
Wolves loss
Game 2
41 PTS
Franchise record
Game 3
36 PTS
Wolves loss
Game 4
34/6/5
Clutch OT 3
⚠️ Then the bad news.
MRI confirmed a left knee hyperextension + bone bruise. Ant sat out Game 6. And the Wolves still WON. They closed Denver in 6 with their star in street clothes. That's a championship team move.
Now the Wolves get the Spurs and Wemby in Round 2. Ant's status is the biggest story in the league this week. If he comes back close to 100% and DiVincenzo is also good, Minnesota can absolutely upset San Antonio. If not... it's going to be a really long series.
Get healthy, Ant. We need you. 🐜
🔥 BUCKET OF THE WEEK
The shot that broke the internet
RJ Barrett — Game 6 Buzzer-Beater
Raptors 112, Cavaliers 110 (OT) • 1.9 seconds left • series-saver
The Raptors were DEAD. Down in the series. Overtime in Cleveland. The Cavs had all the momentum. RJ catches the ball, takes one dribble, and PULLS UP from way deep with two defenders flying at him.
Splash. 1.9 seconds left. Game over. Series goes to a Game 7. The Toronto bench mobbed him at half-court. Cavs fans put their hands on their heads. The kind of shot you remember forever.
🎬 This is going to be on every NBA highlight reel for a year.
👟 GEAR CHECK
My setup — Daly Bucket Approved ✅
#1 SHOE
Nike GT Cut
Performance hooper
The shoe right now. Insanely supportive — you feel locked in the second you lace up — and the cushion is UNBELIEVABLE. Like you're bouncing on a cloud but you can still cut hard. Game-day fit, every game.
GO-TO BRAND
MADEHOOPS
Apparel — by hoopers, for hoopers
The fits are clean, the materials feel high-quality, and you can rock it ON the court and OFF. Tees, hoodies, shorts — it all hits different when you're repping a brand that actually plays.
INDOOR/OUTDOOR BALL + GEAR
Bucket Squad
Ball that handles ANY court + clean fits
The Bucket Squad ball is my indoor/outdoor go-to — feels great inside, holds up on blacktop, and the grip is real. Their gear is fire too. (And yeah, the name fits this newspaper perfectly. 🏀)
INDOOR BALL
Wilson Evolution
The gym standard
If you've played in any real gym, you know the Evo. Best feeling indoor ball there is — perfect grip, perfect bounce, never breaks in weird. This is the ball you want in your hands during a game.
🔥 HEAT CHECK
Playoffs edition: who's heating up
🔥 HEATING UP
- 📈
Anthony Edwards
41 pts (franchise playoff record), 36, 34/6/5 in three straight before injury.
- 📈
RJ Barrett
Series-saving 3 with 1.9 left in OT. ICE COLD.
- 📈
Jaylen Brown
Carrying Boston into Game 7. Peaking at the right time.
- 📈
Tyrese Maxey
Made the Sixers a real series threat. 30+ multiple games.
- 📈
Cade Cunningham
Back from collapsed lung. Pistons forced their own G7.
❄️ COOLING DOWN
- 📉
Denver Nuggets
Out in Round 1. Jokic does it all and it's still not enough.
- 📉
Atlanta Hawks
Got ROUTED by the Knicks. Quick exit.
- 📉
Donte DiVincenzo
Got hurt the same game Ant did. Wolves taking hits.
- 📉
Joel Embiid
Banged up again. Sixers needing Maxey to carry.
- 📉
Cavs fans
That RJ Barrett shot... brutal.
🎤 JOEY'S TAKE
Hot takes from the playoff couch
I'm Riding With Philly. Don't @ Me.
Yeah, I'm a Sixers fan. So when I tell you Philly is winning Game 7 in Boston tonight, you can call it homer talk — but I've watched every minute of this series and Maxey looks UNGUARDABLE. If Embiid gives them 25 and 10, that's the game. Boston has Brown but they don't have a second guy stepping up like Maxey is.
Three Game 7s in the East tells you the same thing — there's no super-team over there. It's wide open, and a hot Sixers team that just survived a Game 7 on the road? That's the most dangerous team in the bracket.
The West is OKC's. SGA on a mission. Wolves are scary if Ant returns. Wemby is Wemby. Lakers without Luka are toast.
My Finals pick: OKC vs PHILLY. Sixers steal a Finals game in OKC. Thunder still take it in 6 (sorry Embiid). SGA Finals MVP. But the Sixers run is going to be REAL.
— Joey Daly, The Daly Bucket
🔢 NUMBER CRUNCH
Round 1 by the numbers
3
Game 7s in the East
41
Ant's franchise playoff record
1.9s
Time left when RJ buried it
6
Games to close Denver
🎰 CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS
Updated for the second round
| Team | Odds | Joey's Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| OKC Thunder | FAVORITE | Mission mode. SGA is locked in. |
| Boston Celtics | +450 | If they survive G7, they're my East pick. |
| San Antonio Spurs | +550 | Wemby playoff debut. Wolves test him first. |
| New York Knicks | +900 | Brunson + healthy = sleeper. |
| Minnesota T-Wolves | +1800 | If Ant's back, they're scarier than this. |
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