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

The stage is set for a thrilling NBA playoff series as legends Kevin Durant and LeBron James are poised to face off for the first time in eight years. The seedings were confirmed on the final night of the regular season, with six teams in both conferences securing their playoff spots and four more set to compete in the play-in. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by James, have secured 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 the fifth seed. The Eastern Conference saw a dramatic conclusion to the regular season, with the Boston Celtics defeating the Orlando Magic to drop them into the eighth spot and the play-in. The Magic will now face the Philadelphia 76ers, with the winner advancing directly to the first round of the playoffs to meet the Celtics. The New York Knicks have locked up the number three seed in the east and will meet the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. The Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Toronto Raptors, while the Denver Nuggets, who ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, will meet the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Oklahoma City Thunder, defending champions, will face the winner of the play-in game between the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers. The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on Sky Sports on April 19, with four live games scheduled. The Western Conference Finals will also be shown live on Sky Sports from May 20. The season has seen a record number of points scored, with 284,395 points, surpassing the previous record of 282,127. Denver's Nikola Jokic has appeared in 65 games, making him eligible for the NBA's award ballots, while the Lakers' Luka Doncic has won the scoring title, and Jokic has won both the rebounding and assist titles.