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

The stage is set for a thrilling NBA playoff series between legends Kevin Durant and LeBron James, with their teams securing the fourth and fifth seeds in the Western Conference. The Los Angeles 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 spots, while four teams in each conference are set to compete in the play-in tournament. In the Eastern Conference, a dramatic conclusion to the regular season saw the Boston Celtics secure a spot, dropping the Orlando Magic to the eighth seed and a play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The winner will advance to face the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The New York Knicks locked up the third seed in the East and will face the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, while the Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Toronto Raptors. In the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers earned the eighth seed and will have two chances to win one game and clinch a playoff berth. They will face the Phoenix Suns in the 7/8 play-in matchup, with the winner advancing to face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Denver Nuggets, who ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, secured the third seed and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6pm onwards. All timings are listed in British Summer Time.