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

The stage is set for a thrilling NBA playoff series between legends Kevin Durant and LeBron James, with the seedings now confirmed following the conclusion of the regular season. A total of six teams in both conferences have secured their playoff spots, while four additional teams in each conference are gearing up for the play-in. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by James, have locked in 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 seeded fifth. The Eastern Conference witnessed high drama on the final night of regular season games, with the battle for a top-six spot going down to the wire. The Boston Celtics emerged victorious against the Orlando Magic, relegating Orlando to the eighth spot and the play-in. As a result, Orlando will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, with the winner advancing directly to the first round of the playoffs to face the Celtics. In another play-in game in the East, the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets will host the tenth-seed 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 is now on the Philadelphia 76ers," said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley after the loss in Boston. The New York Knicks have secured the No. 3 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 defeated the Sacramento Kings to earn the eighth spot, granting 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 defeated the Golden State Warriors and will play them again on Wednesday in the 9/10 playoff elimination game. The winner will meet the loser of the Suns vs Trail Blazers for a chance to take on the defending champions and top seeds in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Denver Nuggets, who ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, defeated an under-strength Spurs to secure the No. 3 seed and set up a first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The first-round playoff matchups are as follows: Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs 8th seed (TBC) San Antonio Spurs (2) vs Portland Trail Blazers (7) Denver Nuggets (3) vs Minnesota Timberwolves (6) Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs Houston Rockets (5) In the play-in, the Phoenix Suns (7) will face the Portland Trail Blazers (8), while the Los Angeles Clippers (9) will take on the Golden State Warriors (10). The Detroit Pistons (1) will face the 8th seed (TBC) in the East, with the Boston Celtics (2) facing the 7th seed (TBC). The New York Knicks (3) will meet the Atlanta Hawks (6), and the Cleveland Cavaliers (4) will face the Toronto Raptors (5). The play-in games in the East will feature the Philadelphia 76ers (7) against the Orlando Magic (8), and the Charlotte Hornets (9) against the Miami Heat (10). The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on Sky Sports this Sunday, April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6pm onwards. The season has seen a record number of points scored, with 284,395 points, surpassing the previous record of 282,127. Denver's Nikola Jokic appeared in the Nuggets' game against San Antonio, making him eligible for the NBA's award ballots. Jokic was second in last year's MVP balloting and has finished in the top two for five consecutive seasons. The Lakers' Luka Doncic won the scoring title with 33.5 points per game, while Jokic won both the rebounding and assist titles, averaging a triple-double for the season. Watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs live on Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.