And the show goes on. NBA fans have been devouring face-offs between LeBron James and Stephen Curry for more than a decade now, as these two titans continue to hypnotize the masses when they share the court together. In addition to the aura of magnificence that filled Crypto.com Arena, this latest meeting featured high stakes. Both the Golden State Warriors (45-31) and Los Angeles Lakers (46-30) desperately want to avoid grinding out a game or two in the NBA Play-In Tournament and are eying home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Their two keystones rose to the occasion and exhibited efforts befitting of a big postseason collision. James scored 33 points on 10-of-15 shooting and made 5-of-8 3-pointers, while also recording nine assists, six rebounds, one steal and one block. The mammoth 40-minute outing was for naught, however, as Curry dropped a game-high 37 points on 10-of-21 shooting along with six assists in a 123-116 Warriors win. These two basketball savants still find ways to amaze viewers. Perhaps that is what defines their respective legacies most of all. Fans relish the latest chapter of LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry “Two legends dueling it out!” @dschnaq marveled. “No game is more entertaining then these,” @BronWorld declared. “Imagine Stephen Curry and Lebron James in the same team,” @FilmWWECrickNBA pondered. James and Curry exhilarated many basketball fans when they led Team USA to a gold medal in the Paris Olympics last summer, but they would have garnered unprecedented amount of attention if they were NBA teammates. The public will have to settle for them being opponents. Although Curry’s Warriors defeated James and the Cleveland Cavaliers three times in the NBA Finals during the 2010s, this should not be viewed as a one-sided rivalry by any means. The all-time scoring champion bested the greatest shooter ever in 2016, and he led the Cavs to a six-game series in 2015 despite Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving both being injured. The NBA Finals are obviously off the table now, but these two icons could still duke it out in the postseason. While the Western Conference seeding situation is in considerable doubt, the Warriors and Lakers are currently slated to play each other in the first round. The people demand it, especially after watching Stephen Curry and LeBron James trade buckets on Thursday. Will there be at least one more big battle between these innovative hoopers? “Need this matchup in the playoffs,” @Maddenmobileluv expressed. This could be the last opportunity to pit the league’s flag bearers against one another in a do-or-die type of environment. As was the case in their past showdowns, they will be accompanied by other exceptional talents. Luka Doncic struggled versus Golden State, but he is a sensational playoff performer who led the Dallas Mavericks to the Finals last season. Austin Reaves is blossoming into an All-Star caliber player, scoring 31 points and shooting an outstanding 9-of-15 from behind the 3-point line. Jimmy Butler has made a transformative impact on the Warriors, and Draymond Green is marching toward his second Defensive Player of the Year Award. This will not merely be the LeBron and Curry show. But they are still the NBA’s headliners for the time being. And the league and a large chunk of the fan base want to savor that fact for as long as possible.