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(AP) -- LeBron James is quickly racking up MVP awards while Kevin Durant is collecting scoring titles at the same pace.

Either could make a case as the best player in the NBA.

Neither is interested in anything beyond team accomplishments.

One of them is about to get the only crown he craves, their head-to-head duel the leading story line of the NBA finals that begin Tuesday night when Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder host James and the Miami Heat.

Both insist the series is more than an individual matchup and the All-Star talent around them supports the claim.

But the focus will be James, the three-time MVP in his third shot at a championship, and Durant, the three-time scoring champion who is playing for his first at age 23.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)