Durant and James Set to Clash in Playoffs as NBA Seedings are Finalized

The stage is set for a thrilling NBA playoff series between legends LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who will face off for the first time in eight years after the final seedings were confirmed on the last night of the regular season. Six teams from both conferences secured their playoff spots, while four more teams in each conference are preparing for the play-in tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by James, claimed the fourth seed in the Western Conference, giving them home-court advantage in their best-of-seven series against Durant's Houston Rockets, who are seeded fifth. The Eastern Conference saw a dramatic conclusion to the regular season, with several teams vying for a top-six spot. The Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic, relegating the Magic to the eighth spot and the play-in tournament, where they will face the Philadelphia 76ers. The winner of this matchup will advance to the first round of the playoffs, where they will meet the Celtics. The other play-in game in the Eastern Conference features the Charlotte Hornets hosting the Miami Heat, with the winner facing the loser of the Magic-76ers matchup for the final playoff spot in the East. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley emphasized the importance of focus, saying, "This one is done. You've got to make sure you focus your time and your attention and your energy all on the Philadelphia 76ers right now." The New York Knicks secured the third seed in the East and will face a resurgent Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs, while the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Toronto Raptors. In the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Sacramento Kings to claim the eighth spot and will have two chances to win one game and clinch a playoff berth. The Trail Blazers will face the Phoenix Suns in the 7/8 play-in matchup, with the winner advancing to face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors and will play them again in the 9/10 playoff elimination game, with the winner meeting the loser of the Suns vs Trail Blazers for a chance to take on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Denver Nuggets, who ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, locked up the third seed and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. The first-round playoff matchups are as follows: Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs 8th seed (TBC) San Antonio Spurs (2) vs 7th seed (TBC) Denver Nuggets (3) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (6) Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs Houston Rockets (5) Phoenix Suns (7) vs Portland Trail Blazers (8) Los Angeles Clippers (9) vs Golden State Warriors (10) Loser Game 1 vs Winner Game 2 Detroit Pistons (1) vs 8th seed (TBC) Boston Celtics (2) vs 7th seed (TBC) New York Knicks (3) vs Atlanta Hawks (6) Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs Toronto Raptors (5) Philadelphia 76ers (7) vs Orlando Magic (8) Charlotte Hornets (9) vs Miami Heat (10) Loser Game 1 vs Winner Game 2 This season saw a record-breaking number of points scored, with a total of 284,395 points, surpassing the previous record of 282,127. Denver's Nikola Jokic appeared in the Nuggets' game against the San Antonio Spurs, making him eligible for the NBA's award ballots. Jokic finished the season with 65 games played, securing his spot on the award ballots. Jokic was the runner-up in last year's MVP voting and has now become the third player in NBA history to achieve a top-two finish in five or more consecutive seasons, joining Boston Celtics legends Bill Russell and Larry Bird. The Lakers' Luka Doncic won the scoring title with an average of 33.5 points per game, while Jokic won both the rebounding and assist titles, averaging 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game, respectively, to complete another season with a triple-double average. Watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs live on Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.