Defining week in the burgeoning rivalry of the NBA’s big two

Americans like their team sports to be reduced to duels, the battle of stars who are more often than not defined by recent form.

This is a world where the quarterback assumes too much responsibility and can make or break a team. Running backs happily accept a heavy burden on their huge shoulders and tree-trunk legs, becoming the “face of the franchise” if the QB isn’t quite elite.

Baseball pushes its pitchers out onto the mound and build whole teams and fan bases around them.