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 Kevin Durant and LeBron James, with the seedings now confirmed following the final night of the regular season. A total of six teams in both conferences have secured their playoff spots, while four more teams in each conference will compete in the play-in tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by James, have locked up 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' victory over the Orlando Magic securing their playoff spot and relegating the Magic to the eighth seed and the play-in tournament. The Magic will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, with the winner advancing directly to the first round of the playoffs to face the Celtics. The other play-in game in the East features the Charlotte Hornets hosting the Miami Heat, with the winner meeting the loser of the Magic-76ers matchup for the final Eastern playoff spot and the right to face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. "Our focus now shifts to the Philadelphia 76ers," said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley after the loss in Boston. The New York Knicks have 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' victory over the Sacramento Kings earned them the eighth seed, giving them 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' win over the Golden State Warriors sets up a playoff elimination game between the two teams on Wednesday, 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 ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, have locked up the third seed and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. The Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and Denver Nuggets have secured the top three seeds in the West, while the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks have done the same in the East. The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on Sky Sports this Sunday, April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6pm onwards. All timings are listed in British Summer Time: 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 be showing all of the Western Conference Finals live from May 20. This season has seen more points scored than any other in NBA history, with a total of 284,395 points. Denver's Nikola Jokic appeared in the Nuggets' game against San Antonio on Sunday night, earning him eligibility for the NBA's award ballots. Jokic has finished in the top two of the MVP balloting in five consecutive seasons, joining Bill Russell and Larry Bird as the only players to achieve this feat. The Lakers' Luka Doncic has won the scoring title with an average of 33.5 points per game, while Jokic has won both the rebounding and assist titles, averaging 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game. Watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.