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

The stage is set for a thrilling NBA playoff series between legendary players LeBron James and Kevin Durant, with their teams securing the fourth and fifth seeds in the Western Conference, respectively. 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, with four additional teams in each conference heading to the play-in tournament. In the Eastern Conference, a dramatic conclusion to the regular season saw the Boston Celtics secure a spot, while the Orlando Magic dropped to eighth and will face the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in. The winner will advance to the first round of the playoffs, where they will meet the Celtics. 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 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 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 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 Sky Sports on April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6 pm onwards.