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

The stage is set for a thrilling NBA playoff series between legendary players LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as the final seedings have been confirmed. Following the last night of the regular season, six teams in both conferences have secured their playoff spots, with four more teams in each conference set to compete in the play-in. James' LA Lakers have claimed the fourth seed in the Western Conference, granting them home court advantage in their best-of-seven series against Durant's Houston Rockets, who are the fifth seed. The Eastern Conference saw intense drama on the final night, with the Boston Celtics defeating the Orlando Magic, which dropped Orlando to the eighth spot and the play-in. The Magic will face the Philadelphia 76ers, 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 match-up for the final Eastern playoff place. The New York Knicks have secured the No 3 seed in the east and will meet the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. The Cleveland Cavaliers will face the Toronto Raptors, while the Portland Trail Blazers earned the eighth spot in the west and will have two chances to win one game and clinch a playoff berth. The Trail Blazers will play the Phoenix Suns in the 7/8 play-in match-up, with the winner going on to face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in round one of the playoffs. The Denver Nuggets, who ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak, beat an under-strength Spurs to lock up the No 3 seed and set up a first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on Sky Sports, with four live games on Sky Sports Action from 6pm onwards. Notably, this season saw more points scored than any other in NBA history, with a total of 284,395 points. Denver's Nikola Jokic appeared in the Nuggets' game against San Antonio, making him eligible for the NBA's award ballots. Jokic won MVP in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and was second in 2022 and last year. The Lakers' Luka Doncic won the scoring title, while Jokic won both the rebounding and assist titles, completing another season in which he averaged a triple-double.