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

The highly anticipated NBA playoffs are set to feature a thrilling matchup between legends Kevin Durant and LeBron James, marking their first playoff series encounter in eight years. The stage was set on the final night of the regular season, with six teams in each conference securing their playoff spots and four more teams in each conference gearing up for the play-in tournament. James' Los Angeles Lakers clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference, earning them home court advantage in their best-of-seven series against Durant's Houston Rockets, who claimed the fifth seed. In the Eastern Conference, a dramatic finale saw the Boston Celtics triumph over the Orlando Magic, relegating Orlando to the eighth spot and a play-in matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. The winner of this game will advance to the first round of the playoffs, where they will face the Celtics. The New York Knicks secured the third seed in the east and will face a resurgent Atlanta Hawks in the first round, while the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Toronto Raptors. In the west, the Portland Trail Blazers earned the eighth spot and will have two chances to win one game and secure a playoff berth. They 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. The Los Angeles Clippers will play the Golden State Warriors 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 champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Denver Nuggets, who finished 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 commence on Sky Sports on April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6pm onwards. This season saw a record 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 San Antonio, earning him eligibility for the NBA's award ballots. Jokic won the rebounding and assist titles, completing another season with a triple-double average. The Lakers' Luka Doncic won the scoring title, averaging 33.5 points per game.