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, with their teams securing the fourth and fifth seeds in the Western Conference. 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 places, with four more teams in each conference set to compete in the play-in tournament. The Eastern Conference saw a dramatic conclusion, with the Boston Celtics securing a top-six spot and the Orlando Magic dropping into the eighth seed. The Magic will face the Philadelphia 76ers in the play-in tournament, with the winner advancing to the first round of the playoffs. The New York Knicks secured 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 seed and will have 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 match-up, with the winner going on to face the San Antonio Spurs in round one of the playoffs. The Denver Nuggets, who ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, locked up the third seed and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. The Oklahoma City Thunder, defending champions, secured the top seed in the West and will face the winner of the play-in tournament. The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6pm onwards.