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, as the final seedings have been confirmed following the conclusion of the regular season. Six teams from both conferences have secured their playoff spots, while four teams in each conference are preparing for the play-in tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by James, have clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference, earning 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 finale to the regular season, with the Boston Celtics defeating the Orlando Magic to drop Orlando into the eighth spot and the play-in tournament. As a result, Orlando will face the Philadelphia 76ers, with the winner advancing to the first round of the playoffs to face the Celtics. In another play-in game, the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets will host the tenth-seeded Miami Heat, with the winner meeting the loser of the Magic-76ers matchup for the final Eastern playoff spot and a chance to face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. "Our focus is now on the Philadelphia 76ers," said Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley after the loss to the Celtics. 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 defeated the Sacramento Kings to earn the eighth spot and a chance 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 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 face them again 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 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 third seed and set up a first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The first round of the playoffs will feature the following matchups: 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) Detroit Pistons (1) vs 8th seed (TBC) Boston Celtics (2) vs 7th seed (TBC) New York Knicks (3) vs Atlanta Hawks (6) Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs Toronto Raptors (5) The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on Sky Sports on 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 has appeared in 65 games for the season, making him eligible for the NBA's award ballots, after helping his team defeat the San Antonio Spurs. Jokic has had a remarkable run, finishing in the top two of the MVP balloting for five consecutive seasons, joining the likes of Bill Russell and Larry Bird. 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, respectively, to complete another season with a triple-double average.