Two MVP candidates will duel when the Cavaliers take on the Rockets, but it's the shootout from beyond the arc that will be on display. ESPN's Calvin Watkins points out why the 3-pointer will be the thing to watch. (1:24)

HOUSTON -- It seems everybody has caught up to Mike D’Antoni’s pace-and-space offense, in which players shoot 3-pointers or layups and forget about the midrange shot.

In D'Antoni's mind, this style of play became widely accepted after the Golden State Warriors won an NBA title two seasons ago using those same offensive principles.

Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA title, and they too rely heavily on 3-point shooting.

While not as noted for their 3s, the Cavaliers aren't so different from the Warriors or even D’Antoni’s 3-happy Houston Rockets team.

When the Cavaliers visit the Rockets on Sunday (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET), regardless of who plays, the 3-point shot will be the featured attraction for both teams.

"Cleveland is way up there," D’Antoni said. "They made [25] the other night, they’re way up there."

Those 25 3-pointers the Cavs sank March 3 in Atlanta set an NBA regular-season record for 3s made in a game. Cleveland beat the record that had been held by the Rockets since December. Houston, by the way, still holds the record for most 3-pointers attempted in a single game at 61.

James Harden trails only Steph Curry this season in 3-pointers made and attempted. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

And over the past three seasons, no NBA team has taken or made more 3s than the Rockets. The Warriors have the second-most attempts and makes, but guess who is third? Yes, it's the Cavs.

"Everybody is trying to, it’s a little bit of personnel, [and] you have to adjust to who you have," D'Antoni said. "Two of the best teams out there right now are those two teams, and they’re shooting a lot of 3s. We like to be one of them, yes."

The Rockets have four players in the top 10 in 3-point field goals attempted and four in the top 11 for 3s made. Cleveland, meanwhile, is second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage, 3-point field goals attempted and made.

Still not a believer that all those 3s add up to victories? Consider this: The Rockets are 10-0 when they shoot at least 45 percent from 3. Cleveland is 12-1 when that happens.

"It’s fun -- you get a lot easier shots when you’re making 3s and layups," Rockets guard Eric Gordon said. "Most of those are easy plays. A lot of teams still like to shoot a lot of 2s and post up. At the end of the day, it won’t add up to the amount of 3s that you take and make. It’s always a give and take."

Rockets forward Trevor Ariza broke into the NBA in 2004 with the Knicks as a 19-year old from UCLA. Ariza has seen the game change.

"It’s really different," he said. "When I first got into the NBA, it was more the best available shots, whether it’s a 2 or 3. When I was a rookie or a couple of years in, there were more guys who worked on their in-between game. That has changed, and you have to be able to adapt to that."

So how will Sunday’s game look?

In their first meeting Nov. 1, the teams combined for 76 3s with the Cavs hitting 50 percent of them. J.R. Smith and Ariza together took a whopping 21 from deep.

There are two new additions to the contest thanks to trades. Kyle Korver is with Cleveland now and is averaging 5.8 3-point attempts per game, but is dealing with foot soreness. Lou Williams now plays for the Rockets, and he takes seven a game.

So will we see more records set Sunday? Perhaps. But one thing D'Antoni knows for sure is that neither team will be afraid to keep hoisting the long shots.

“Back then, even we were scared,” D’Antoni said in reference to his original pace-and-space teams in Phoenix. “I think it was just us [taking a large number of 3s], and we were scared, although we were winning most of the time. We would be up 20 at halftime and still scared because we didn’t know if it could last until the playoffs.

"Golden State broke through, and now it's mathematically [confirmed], and on the floor, it’s been proven that’s the best way to go."