It’s a pole-position kind of NBA Playoff Sunday.
The four-game slate features three teams looking to take commanding 3-1 series leads, while a fourth, the Minnesota Timberwolves, are trying to sweep the Phoenix Suns out of the tournament.
For our purposes, I’ve pulled from the books and come up with a pair of parlay tickets of NBA player props.
I'm focusing on big men and lead guards with these NBA picks, starting with the reigning MVP looking to gut out another dynamite effort at home vs New York.
NBA playoffs parlay picks April 28
- Embiid Under 34.5 points + Gobert Over 1.5 blocks + Turner Under 2.5 made threes (+559 at DraftKings)
- Irving Over 2.5 made threes + Haliburton Under 2.5 made threes + Conley Over 5.5 assists (+443 at DraftKings)
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Best NBA parlay picks for Sunday
NBA parlay pick 1
Joel Embiid Under 35.5 points
Rudy Gobert Over 1.5 blocks
Turner Under 2.5 made threes
Minus the on-court antics that have nothing to do with total domination, Joel Embiid has shown some guts, playing on a bum knee and a facial injury that can’t be too comfortable. The 7-footer dropped a 50-burger on the New York Knicks in a virtual must-win, and now, the Philadelphia 76ers can tie it up before a return to Gotham in Game 5.
Embiid will have to play a monster role for that to happen, but that 34.5-point line is a little hefty. Game 3 was the first time he crossed that total in the series, and in 19 career regular-season games against New York, he’s scored 35 or more just three times.
Over in Phoenix, Rudy Gobert has been impactful in helping the Minnesota Timberwolves build a 3-0 series lead, averaging 17 points and 13 boards on a crisp 72.7% from the field. The only area he hasn’t had an impact is at the defensive rim, with only a single rejection in the series.
There was only one other instance this season where Gobert went three straight games with a block or less in each. A guy who averaged 2.1 blocks per game on the year, look for Gobert to have at least a couple of swats in Game 4.
The Milwaukee Bucks are in a whole world of hurt, with Giannis and Dame both doubtful for Game 4, and the Indiana Pacers looking to take a 3-1 stranglehold of the series.
Myles Turner has been one of the standouts in building that lead up, with some dead-eye shooting from distance. The Pacers’ center has drilled 10-for-25 from three through three games, hitting 40% in this series after a 35.8% average in the regular season.
But can this be sustained? Going back to the regular season, Turner has hit three or more triples in four straight — the first time he’s done that all season and the only time he's done this in his entire career.
The regression is a good wager for Game 4.
NBA parlay pick 2
Kyrie Irving Over 2.5 made threes
Tyrese Haliburton Under 2.5 made threes
Mike Conley Over 5.5 assists
Playing the role of a supercharged second option, Kyrie Irving has flourished riding shotgun to Luka Doncic. He’s averaging 25 points on 49.1% shooting while making a lethal 47.6% from 3-point range on seven attempts per game. Irving has hit at least three 3-pointers in every game this series.
It’s not like this is a playoff outburst: Irving ended the regular season making at least three triples in eight of his final 10 games of the year. Look for him to be in range again.
Let’s go from red-hot Irving to ice-cold Tyrese Haliburton. Though pouring in a triple-double to help the Pacers down the Bucks in Game 3, Haliburton shot a brutal 1-for-12 from beyond the arc.
Through three games he’s shooting 5-for-22 from distance, a meager 22.7% clip. Yet the books have set his make line at 2.5 — a figure the Pacers’ star has eclipsed once in this series and just three times in his last eight.
With other Indy players picking up the pace (hello, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner!) look for Hali to play more distributor than shot maker.
Let’s wrap up with old, reliable Mike Conley, who is having himself a steady series for the Timberwolves. The Wolves preserved the 36-year-old for much of the regular season, limiting him to under 29 minutes a game, but he’s been up over 32 in each of the last two games, and his production is showing.
Conley has a makeable 5.5 assist line for Game 4, considering he’s averaging six dimes per game in the playoffs — including two seven-assist efforts.
There’s plenty of firepower that needs the ball in their hands, and Conley should get them the ball comfortably again.
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