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

The stage is set for a thrilling playoff series between NBA legends Kevin Durant and LeBron James, with their teams securing the fourth and fifth seeds in the Western Conference. The LA Lakers, led by James, will have home court advantage in their best-of-seven series against Durant's Houston Rockets. The final night of the regular season saw six teams in both conferences confirm their playoff places, with four more teams in each conference set to compete in the play-in. The Eastern Conference saw a dramatic conclusion, with the Boston Celtics beating the Orlando Magic to drop Orlando into the eighth spot and the play-in. The Magic will face the Philadelphia 76ers, with the winner advancing to the first round of the playoffs to face the Celtics. The New York Knicks secured the third seed in the east and will meet the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, while the Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Toronto Raptors. In the west, the Portland Trail Blazers earned the eighth spot and will have two chances to win one game and clinch a playoff berth. The Trail Blazers will play the Phoenix Suns in the 7/8 play-in match-up, with the winner facing Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in round one. The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Golden State Warriors and will play again in the 9/10 playoff elimination game, with the winner meeting the loser of the Suns vs Trail Blazers for the 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, locked up the third seed and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on Sky Sports on April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6pm onwards.