We are already to Week 6 in the K1 League, which marks the halfway point of the regular season. While several teams have put themselves in a position to make a run at the divisional crown, others have struggled so far, and now have the chance to hit the rest button for a second-half push. Check out all of the action that is coming up in Week 6!
12:30 pm - Nets @ Mavericks
Both the Nets and Mavericks hope to bounce back from a disappointing Week 5, as they are desperate for a win in the early game of Week 6. The Nets appeared to find their groove in a dominating Week 4 win against the Celtics, as they had their full roster together for the first time in a 62-38 win, getting them back to the .500 mark at 2-2. However this past Sunday, the Nets had to forfeit both games of a doubleheader, as they only had three players, dropping their record to 2-4 and losing ground in a closely contested East division. Meanwhile for the Mavericks, a brutal five-game stretch on the schedule leaves them in a 0-6 hole, but with some winnable games coming up on the schedule, there is room to be optimistic. The Mavericks have scored the ball well at times, led by Braijon Thomas (18.0 ppg) and Jamari Washington (15.7 ppg). However their porous defense has given them problems (83.5 points allowed per game). For the Nets, who are trying to keep pace with the first-place Bucks (6-1), they will look to exploit that very Mavericks defense. Look for Red Binion and Ronnie Jackson to continue their strong offensive play in this matchup, as they are combining for 40 points per game. As the Nets prepare to face the Heat and Bucks in the next two weeks in crucial East Division clashes, they must take care of business on Sunday. Assuming the Nets have five players at Sunday's game, they open as 9.5 point favorites.
1:30 pm - Bulls @ Spurs
Coming into Week 5, no one was playing a better brand of basketball than the Spurs, who had won four straight games. Following a shock double-digit loss to the Heat on Sunday, the Spurs will look to bounce back against a Bulls team, that arguably is also playing as well as any team in the K1 League. Two very talented teams, both with the aspiration of winning a division title, makes for a fun matchup on Sunday. This game will feature some star power, as the Bulls' very own Benito Munoz has emerged as an all-league guard in recent weeks. After missing the Bulls' first game, and only scoring eleven points in a Week 2 loss to the Bucks, Munoz has scored a combined 69 points in the team's last three contests. He comes into this matchup averaging an even 20 points per game, tied for fourth in the league with the Heat's Terrell Hendrix. The other key play for the Bulls is big man Seth Johnson, who is averaging 20.2 ppg, good for third in the league. He is also leading the league in rebounding at 11.6 rebounds per game. He will need to play a key part in the Bulls' efforts, as they matchup against the deeper Spurs team. Look out for a fun matchup of "Johnson's," as Seth takes on the Spurs' Trey Johnson. The Spurs' version is coming off a monster performance in the paint, with a whopping seven blocks against the Heat last week. He comes into the game averaging 11.3 points per game. Due to the depth of the Spurs, and their strong desire to bounce back after last week's matchup, they are 5.5 point favorites against a surging Bulls team.
2:30 pm - Warriors @ Lakers
Week 6 game of the week should be a fun rematch between the Warriors and Lakers. The Warriors enter the game with a 5-1 record, narrowly leading the Big 3 in the West Division. The Lakers are 5-2 and will welcome back LJ Harris to the lineup, as they look to bounce back following consecutive weeks with a loss. If the Lakers have Harris in the lineup, they will benefit from his 14.3 ppg and his 6.3 rpg. More than that, they will welcome back one of the league's toughest defenders and a guy they have yet to lose with (4-0) when in the lineup. Other playmakers for the Lakers include Tone Brooks (18.6 ppg) and Quon Shaw (17.3 ppg), both of whom are top ten in the league in scoring. The Warriors will look to continue their impressive play, which is perhaps as good as any team in the K1 League. The Warriors are averaging 79.3 points per game as a team, as five different players average double figures for them. When these two teams faced off on September 12th, the Lakers did not have Andre Robertson Jr. or Harris. Look for them to be the spark that this Lakers team needs as they search for the play they had back in Week 1 when upsetting the Spurs. Don't miss this one, as the streaking Warriors are 3.5 point favorites against the Lakers in the game of the week matchup.
3:30 pm - Bucks @ Celtics
Heading into Week 6, only two teams in the K1 League have yet to suffer multiple defeats. The Bucks (5-1) have very quietly joined the Warriors (5-1) in this category, as they head into Sunday with a winnable matchup against a Celtics team that they defeated 59-48 just two weeks ago. For the Bucks, who have yet to have their entire starting lineup together at a game this year, it's been timely performances from different players that has contributed to their success. Darien Bosby and Jaquan Boxley return to the lineup this week, and they will join a group that will be without reigning player-of-the-year Kale Maupin for a third consecutive week. Look for the Bucks to shoot a lot of three-pointers in this one. The Celtics should find confidence in their size advantage, something they used to their advantage bigtime in their matchup with the Bucks two weeks ago. In that game, the Celtics came away with 24 offensive rebounds as they dominated on the glass. Perhaps the x-factor in this one will be outside shooting, as the Celtics have just not been able to consistently score from behind the long line. Mendi Naylor, Donald Ellis, and Walter Hudson will need to play their best basketball if the Celtics want to upset the Bucks in their first of two games on Sunday. The Bucks are 8.5 point favorites in this East Division contest.
4:30 pm - Heat @ Celtics
The Celtics will be right back on the court against a Heat team that is (3-2) and will also have two games on Sunday. The Heat are coming off of their biggest win of the season, shocking the defending champion Spurs 65-48 a week ago. Terrell Hendrix has continued to be one of the best offensive players in the K1 League. He scored 20 points a week ago to maintain his 20 points per game scoring average and remain in the top five scoring-wise in the league. Two of the biggest factors for the Heat are who else can score the basketball alongside Hendrix, and can they play on the interior with the bigger teams in the league? Last week both of these questions were answered with a resounding yes, as Alonzo King went off for 20 points, and a crafty 2-3 zone was able to stifle an unusually careless Spurs team. Blake Graham is expected to be back in action on Sunday, and look for him to get going offensively as well. The Celtics will likely be a bit tired coming off of their game against the Bucks, so that could be a disadvantage for them. Once again, they will turn to their core guys to dominate on the glass and to get points in the paint. Jay Slone and Jonathan Townsend remain as two of the best rebounders in the league. Coach Deangelo Sanders and his team will really want this game, hoping to keep pace in a crowded East division. However, as long as the Heat can take care of the basketball and stay out of foul trouble, we like them as solid favorites in this one. The Heat are 7.5 point favorites against the Celtics as both times have a chance for two wins on Sunday.
5:30 pm - Heat @ Suns
The Heat will be back on court against the winless Suns (0-5), hoping to improve to 5-2 in the K1 Fall League. The Heat have had a very up and down season so far, and certainly have the talent to play with anyone. We would expect their talented guard play to stand out in this one. However, the Suns have played a couple solid basketball games in the month of September, and shouldn't be counted out as their schedule starts to lighten up a little bit heading into October. Michael Lonergan Jr. has continued to be really solid, averaging 12 points per game and leading the K1 League in assists with 4.6 per game. On several occasions he has nearly recorded a triple double, and is the clear facilitator in this offense. His supporting cast will need to step up on Sunday, particularly from behind the long line. Devonte Barnes (13.5 ppg), Dylan Winker (8.5 ppg), and Ferra Johnson (7.8 ppg) have all been bright spots for this Suns team in the paint, but none of them have shot the ball well from three-point range. The Suns are only averaging 48 points per game on offense heading into Week 6, and that has to change if they want to get into the win column. For the Suns to pick up their first win, especially against a team as talented as the Heat, they will look to shoot the ball better, and will need to force some turnovers. The Heat are 12.5 point favorites in this one, as both teams look to end the Week 6 action on a winning note.