5 takeaways from Warriors’ performance with Durant injured

Over the past three weeks, as the Warriors have won a season-high 13 consecutive games, a singular question gained momentum: “Is Golden State better without Kevin Durant?”

A worthier examination is whether Durant’s left knee injury buoyed Golden State’s championship pursuit.

With the eight-time All-Star sidelined for the past 19 games, the Warriors reinforced that they’re more than an elite starting lineup.

With 256 assists, 76 steals and 56 turnovers this season, Iguodala leads the league in assists per turnover (4.57) and ranks eighth in steals per turnover (1.36).

Curry remains an MVP-caliber player: A year after becoming the first player in NBA history to win the MVP unanimously, Curry is not in contention to earn the award a third straight time.

Three nights after he scored 42 points and hit nine three-pointers in a win over Washington, he scored 42 against (on eight three-pointers) in Wednesday’s win over the Suns.

Barnes’ numbers in 19 games with Golden State — 5.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 21.2 minutes — aren’t gaudy, but the Warriors needed him to be a complementary piece, not a standout.

Barnes’ knack for scrapping for loose balls, setting screens, rolling hard to the rim and hitting the open three-pointer has been an overlooked aspect of the current winning streak.

More than a couple people are responsible for the Warriors’ stingy defense:

Golden State, which ranks second in the NBA behind San Antonio in defensive rating, has held opponents to 99.9 points on 41.5 percent shooting during the winning streak.