Warriors chasing history -- fast

— -- You can run and you can defend, but you can't do both. This has been one of the longest-held axioms in the NBA.

You can play high-octane hoops like the Phoenix Suns' Seven Seconds Or Less squads from the late 2000s, or you can play smashmouth, grind-it-out Indiana Pacers basketball. But trying to accomplish both? That's a fool's errand.

These Golden State Warriors beg to differ.

So far this season, they're rewriting the script by playing faster and defending better than every other team in the league. How rare is that? Led by first-time head coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors are on track to be the first and only team in the modern NBA -- since 1979 when the 3-point arc was introduced -- to rank No. 1 in both pace and defensive rating.

This is uncharted territory. How are they doing it? And what does it mean for the playoffs?