LeBron James, Kevin Durant Face Off Again in Playoffs. Who’s Got the Edge?
TL;DR
LeBron James and Kevin Durant will face off in the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2018. Their storied rivalry includes three previous postseason matchups, all in the NBA Finals.
Key points
- LeBron James and Kevin Durant face off in NBA playoffs.
- Last playoff meeting was in 2018.
- Both players have a storied rivalry with three previous matchups.
When the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets take the court on Saturday for Game 1 of their NBA playoffs series, two of the game’s all-time greats will write the next chapter of a storied rivalry.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant haven’t met in the postseason since 2018, but their three previous postseason matchups were in the NBA Finals and produced electric performances from both players.
Mar 16, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) dribbles the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Durant’s Golden State Warriors took two of those series over James’ Cleveland Cavaliers, while James’ Miami Heat downed Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder in the other series.
Has LeBron or KD won more head-to-head matchups?
Overall, James had the edge, taking 26 games while Durant has won 20.
In the playoffs, though, it’s KD who’s better, 9-5 in 14 postseason games.
Who’s better individually in the playoffs?
In the 2012 NBA Finals, the first postseason series between the two, James averaged 28.6 points per game, 10.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.4 blocks.
Durant, meanwhile, averaged 30.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks.
So while Durant outscored James, it was James who had a more well-rounded statistical performance — and he won his first championship in the process.
The 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals, however, are when Durant got his revenge.
Durant averaged 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.6 blocks in 2017.
James averaged a triple double with 33.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks, but outside of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, he didn’t have the supporting cast that Durant had on the Warriors: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguadala.
In 2018, James actually outplayed Durant.
James averaged 34.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks.
Durant averaged 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 2.3 blocks, but similar to 2017, his teammates like Curry, Thompson and Green made the difference.
James lacked Irving, who’d departed for Boston, and outside of Love, no one averaged double-digit points.
How will the Lakers play against the Rockets in 2026?
The teammates aspect is likely to be the defining factor of this first-round series, as James and the Lakers will be without their top two scorers, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
Will the 41-year-old James have enough to make up for it? Only time will tell. Tune in at 5:30 p.m. PT Saturday to find out.
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Q&A
When did LeBron James and Kevin Durant last meet in the playoffs?
LeBron James and Kevin Durant last met in the playoffs in 2018.
How many playoff series have LeBron James and Kevin Durant played against each other?
LeBron James and Kevin Durant have played against each other in three playoff series.
Which teams did LeBron James and Kevin Durant represent in their playoff matchups?
LeBron James represented the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, while Kevin Durant played for the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder.
