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NEW YORK – Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant can both take over a single-handedly game.
But the Warriors are at their best when both form MVPs work in lockstep, feeding off each other's strengths to form the most potent 1-2 punch in the league. What makes their partnership so special is that, despite their immense talent, they seem to be all-Star tandem in NBA history.
In leading Golden State to a 5-1 start, Curry and Durant have traded in the spotlight as they cheer for each other. With those two in sync so early in the season, the rest of the league is trying to feebly to find answers.
Leave Durant one-on-one, and he drills turnaround jumpers over his helpless defender's outstretched arms. Lose track of Curry along the perimeter – even 30-plus feet from the rim – and he can unleash one of his signature scoring binges. Send multiple defenders toward Curry? He will find Durant with a pass.
Sunday's game
Who: Warriors (5-1) at Nets (2-3)
When: 2 p.m.
TV / Radio: NBCSBA / 95.7
"To see them both in a groove like this is amazing to watch," forward Kevon Looney said. "They can not keep bailing us out with these terrific performances to win games. But as long as they keep doing it, we'll keep enjoying it. "
Though the sample size is small, it's been a lot of time to spend the last couple of months with LeBron James together.
Curry and Durant rank second and sixth in the NBA, respectively, in points per game. Twice this season, they have scored at least 30 points in the same game.
Crew has made at least five pointers in each of his first six games to match the NBA record set by George McCloud to start the 1995-96 season. To score 51 points – Three days of high-heels in Wednesday's Washington, Curry needed only 32 minutes and 24 shots.
Curry was in the midst of a blistering shooting run, Durant yelled at him, "Shoot the ball!" Curry had barely crossed the opposite free-throw line.
Two nights later, in Madison Square Garden, it was Curry imploring Durant to shoot. To help Golden State pull away late against the Knicks, Durant scored 25 points in the fourth quarter.
"Low key, we're going to be fans of the court just watching greatness," Curry said.
In 2016-17, Curry and Durant would be questioned whether or not they would be questioned during their addition to the Warriors' chemistry. With Curry and Durant working in concert, Golden State is steamrolling its second NBA championship in three years, outscoring opponents by 13.5 points per game in the playoffs.
Finding that equilibrium was much tougher for Curry and Durant in their second season together. After watching those two overwhelm the competition season, teams had a better sense of how to make life difficult. It also did not help that Curry and Durant missed extended time because of injuries at various points.
With Curry sidelined for most of March and April, Durant became the unquestioned No. 1 offensive option. An offense built around Curry's three-point exploits and spontaneous bursts of glee became connected to one's ability to dribble.
Now both 30 years old, they are navigating the next stage of their careers. Twenty-nine other teams are left to face a sobering truth: There is no obvious defense for two generational talents maximizing one another's gifts.
"The thing that makes them pretty unique is that they are each big-time superstars, and yet each other is perfectly willing to sit back and let the other do his thing," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said. "That kind of unselfish nature comes out of easily to them. It's a dynamic dynamic for our team when you have that. "
Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Con_Chron
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