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

The stage is set for a highly anticipated playoff series between NBA legends Kevin Durant and LeBron James, as the seedings for the playoffs have been confirmed following the conclusion of the regular season. A total of six teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences have secured their spots in the playoffs, with four additional teams in each conference set to compete in the play-in tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by James, have locked up the fourth seed in the Western Conference, earning them home-court advantage in their best-of-seven series against Durant's Houston Rockets, who are the fifth seed. The final night of the regular season was marked by drama in the Eastern Conference, where the battle for a top-six spot went down to the wire. The Boston Celtics emerged victorious against the Orlando Magic, a loss that dropped Orlando to the eighth spot and relegated them to 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 the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets will host the tenth-seeded Miami Heat. The winner will then face the loser of the Orlando-Philadelphia matchup for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot and the right to face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley emphasized the importance of focus, stating, "This one is done. You've got to make sure you focus your time and your attention and your energy all on the Philadelphia 76ers right now." The New York Knicks have secured the third seed in the East and will face the rejuvenated Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs. 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 will have two chances to win one game and secure 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 face them again in the 9/10 playoff elimination game. The winner will then meet the loser of the Suns vs Trail Blazers for a chance to take on the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. The Denver Nuggets, who ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, defeated an under-strength Spurs team to lock up the third seed and set up a first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. 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. The season has seen a record number of points scored, with a total of 284,395 points, surpassing the previous record of 282,127. Denver's Nikola Jokic appeared in the Nuggets' game against San Antonio, pushing his total to 65 games for the season and making him eligible for the NBA's award ballots. Jokic was second in last year's MVP balloting and has now become the third player in NBA history to achieve a top-two finish in five or more consecutive seasons, joining Boston Celtics greats Bill Russell and Larry Bird. 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. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.