Oklahoma City Thunder star and 2013-14 league MVP Kevin Durant has taken a backseat most of the season to reigning MVP Stephen Curry of the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
Don't look now but Durant is making a hard charge to reclaim the award that a foot injury last season denied Durant the ability to defend.
On Monday, he posted his third consecutive game with at least 32 points, which includes a 40-point, 14-rebound effort in the 116-108 loss at Golden State on Saturday night.
During this three-game tear, which is part of his larger run of 38 consecutive games with at least 20 points, he's been scoring with lethal efficiency: 35 of 71 shooting overall (49.3 percent), 14 of 29 from 3-point range (48.3 percent) and 25 of 26 at the free throw line (96.2 percent).
On the season, Durant is averaging 27.8 points -- second in the league behind Curry -- 8.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists while nudging ever-so-close to the hallowed shooting percentage triple of 50-40-90: 50.6 overall, 39.4 from beyond the arc and 89.5 from the free throw line.
Curry's 29.8 points a game leads the league and his 45.3 3-point percentage is downright magical. Those numbers alone could snap up the MVP award, but combined with the fact that the Warriors are 46-4 heading into Tuesday's game and the sharpshooting point guard is the prohibitive favorite to defend his MVP award.
If the Warriors wind up breaking the Chicago Bulls' record of 72 wins, then forget it, the award is Curry's no matter what Durant might do. And even if they just come close to 72, it might take a run of 50-point games for Durant to have a shot to unseat Curry.
Still, with Durant ramping up his game as the All-Star break beckons, NBA fans could be in store for a great MVP race down the stretch. And it doesn't hurt that these two superstars will meet again twice more in less than a month.
You almost wish the coming elongated All-Star break could be scrapped and just keep the games coming.
