Durant and James Set to Clash in NBA Playoffs as Seeding is Finalized

The stage is set for a highly anticipated matchup between NBA legends LeBron James and Kevin Durant in the playoffs, following the confirmation of seedings on the final night of the regular season. A total of six teams in both conferences have secured their playoff spots, with four additional teams in each conference set to compete in the play-in tournament. The Los Angeles Lakers, led by James, have clinched 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 Eastern Conference saw a dramatic conclusion to the regular season, with the battle for a top-six spot going down to the wire. The Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic, relegating Orlando to the eighth spot and the play-in tournament, where they will face the Philadelphia 76ers. The winner of this matchup will advance directly to the first round of the playoffs, where they will meet the Celtics. In the other play-in game in the East, 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 the right to face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. "Our focus now shifts to the Philadelphia 76ers," said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley after the loss in Boston. The New York Knicks have secured the number three seed in the East and will face a rejuvenated 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, giving 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 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 number three 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 6 pm onwards. All timings are listed in British Summer Time: 6 pm - East No 7 seed @ Boston Celtics (2) 8:30 pm - West No 8 seed @ Oklahoma City Thunder (1) 11 pm - East No 8 seed @ Detroit Pistons (1) 2 am - Portland Trail Blazers (7) @ San Antonio Spurs (2) Sky Sports will also be showing all of the Western Conference Finals live from May 20. This season has seen more points scored than any other in NBA history, with the previous record of 282,127 points being surpassed on Sunday evening. The final total for the season stands at 284,395 points. Denver's Nikola Jokic appeared in the Nuggets' game against San Antonio on Sunday night, 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 behind only Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, making him just the third player in NBA history with a top-two finish in five or more consecutive seasons, joining Bill Russell and Larry Bird. Jokic won MVP in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and was second in 2022 and again last year. Russell and Bird, both Boston Celtics greats, each finished first or second in the balloting in six consecutive seasons. The league's statistical champions have been officially announced, with the Lakers' Luka Doncic winning the scoring title, and Jokic winning both the rebounding and assist titles to complete another season in which he averaged a triple-double. Watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.