Durant and James Set to Clash in Playoffs as NBA Seedings Are Confirmed

The stage is set for a thrilling NBA playoff series between legends Kevin Durant and LeBron James, with the seedings now officially confirmed following the final night of the regular season. A total of six teams from both conferences have secured their playoff spots, while four more teams in each conference are gearing up for the play-in. The LA Lakers, led by James, have clinched 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 the fifth seed. In the Eastern Conference, the battle for a top-six spot went down to the wire on Sunday night. The Boston Celtics' win over the Orlando Magic pushed Orlando into the eighth spot and the play-in, where they will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, with the winner advancing to the first round of the playoffs to meet the Celtics. The other play-in game in the East features the Charlotte Hornets hosting the 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. Magic coach Jamahl Mosley emphasized the importance of focusing on the upcoming game, saying, "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 No. 3 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' win over the Sacramento Kings earned them the eighth spot, giving them two chances 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' win over the Golden State Warriors set up a playoff elimination game between the two teams on Wednesday, with the winner meeting the loser of the Suns vs. Trail Blazers for a chance to take on the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Denver Nuggets, who ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, locked up the No. 3 seed and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs. 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 games: 1. Phoenix Suns (7) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (8) 2. Los Angeles Clippers (9) vs. Golden State Warriors (10) 3. Phoenix Suns vs. Winner Game 2 In the Eastern Conference: 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 play-in games in the East are: 1. Philadelphia 76ers (7) vs. Orlando Magic (8) 2. Charlotte Hornets (9) vs. Miami Heat (10) 3. Loser Game 1 vs. Charlotte Hornets The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on Sky Sports on Sunday, April 19, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6 pm onwards. The schedule for the first day of the playoffs is as follows: 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 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 on Sunday night, earning him eligibility for the NBA's award ballots. Jokic has had a top-two finish in five consecutive seasons, joining Bill Russell and Larry Bird as the only players to achieve this feat. Jokic won the MVP award in 2021, 2023, and 2024 and was second in 2022 and last year. The Lakers' Luka Doncic won the scoring title with an average of 33.5 points per game, while Jokic won both the rebounding and assist titles, averaging 12.9 rebounds and 10.7 assists per game. Watch the 2026 NBA Playoffs live on Sky Sports. Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW.