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

The stage is set for a thrilling playoff series between NBA legends LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as the seedings for the postseason have been confirmed. Following the conclusion of the regular season, James' LA Lakers secured the fourth seed in the Western Conference, earning home court advantage in their best-of-seven series against Durant's Houston Rockets, who finished as the fifth seed. The final night of regular season games was marked by drama in the Eastern Conference, where the battle for a top-six spot went down to the wire. The Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic, relegating Orlando to the eighth spot and a play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The winner of this matchup will advance to the first round of the playoffs, where they will face the Celtics. In another play-in game, the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets will host the tenth-seeded Miami Heat, with the winner meeting the loser of the Magic-76ers game for the final Eastern playoff spot and a chance to face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley emphasized the importance of focus, stating, "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 locked up the third seed in the East and will face a rejuvenated Atlanta Hawks in the first round. The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Toronto Raptors. In the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers earned the eighth spot by beating the Sacramento Kings, giving them two chances to win one game and secure a playoff berth. They will play 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. The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors and will play them again in a 9/10 playoff elimination game. The winner will meet the loser of the Suns vs Trail Blazers for a chance to take on the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Denver Nuggets, who ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, beat a depleted Spurs team to secure the third seed and set up a first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The first round of the playoffs will feature the following matchups: Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs 8th seed (TBC) San Antonio Spurs (2) vs Portland Trail Blazers (7) Denver Nuggets (3) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (6) Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs Houston Rockets (5) The play-in games will be: 1. Phoenix Suns (7) vs Portland Trail Blazers (8) 2. Los Angeles Clippers (9) vs Golden State Warriors (10) 3. Phoenix Suns vs Winner Game 2 In the Eastern Conference: 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) The play-in games will be: 1. Philadelphia 76ers (7) vs Orlando Magic (8) 2. Charlotte Hornets (9) vs Miami Heat (10) 3. Loser Game 1 vs Charlotte Hornets The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on Sky Sports on April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6pm onwards. The schedule includes: 6pm - East No 7 seed @ Boston Celtics (2) 8.30pm - West No 8 seed @ Oklahoma City Thunder (1) 11pm - East No 8 seed @ Detroit Pistons (1) 2am - Portland Trail Blazers (7) @ San Antonio Spurs (2) Sky Sports will also broadcast the Western Conference Finals live from May 20. This season saw a record number of points scored, with 284,395 points, surpassing the previous record of 282,127. Denver's Nikola Jokic appeared in the Nuggets' game against San Antonio, making him eligible for the NBA's award ballots. Jokic has finished in the top two in MVP voting for five consecutive seasons, joining Bill Russell and Larry Bird as the only players to achieve this feat. The Lakers' Luka Doncic won the scoring title with 33.5 points per game, while Jokic won both the rebounding and assist titles, averaging a triple-double for the season. Watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.