KD closing gap in MVP race with Curry

Take Kevin Durant off the Nets or Steph Curry off the Warriors and both clubs would be fighting for their playoff lives. 

 With both players in the fold, Golden State is the best out West and Brooklyn the beast of the East, record-wise. Durant and Curry are truly irreplaceable and it's not a coincidence they're in the middle of a MVP race that is tightening with each passing day. 

 Durant made his latest case for MVP with a 51 point outing in Detroit without James Harden, Paul Millsap, Joe Harris and oh yeah, Kyrie Irving. The Nets franchise player is leading the NBA in scoring at 29.4, 2.4 points higher than Curry and The Greek Freak. Durant is shooting a remarkable 52.9 percent from the field to lead the league and is 9.7 percentage points higher than Curry. 

 The numbers don't lie and Brooklyn's point forward passes the eye test, Durant is more than deserving of the MVP award. His unprecedented efficiency, clutch shooting and effortless scoring is the stuff of legends, not to mention Steve Nash has to literally force him to the bench to rest.

 At the quarter pole, Curry is just a hair ahead of Durant, due in large part to his team's overwhelming success and ascension back atop the Western Conference. 

Things can change in a hurry and with news breaking that optimism is growing around Irving's return to the court in Brooklyn, the Nets are hoping to stack wins and make an even stronger case for Durant during this superb season.