With just two weeks left in the Regular season, a couple of big matchups remain on the schedule, starting with the Nets-Spurs at 1:30 pm in the Week 10 game of the week matchup. The Bucks and Heat follow at 2:30 pm in a very important East Division clash. The Mavericks and Suns then battle at 3:30 pm for the second time this season, hoping to follow up on their extremely tight matchup back in Week 7 that saw the Mavericks pick up their first win of the season. Read up on all the action that is to come this Sunday at K1 Sports!
12:30 pm - Lakers @ Celtics
The Lakers will look to improve to 9-3 on Sunday as they take on the Celtics who come into this contest at 3-8. Although they may not catch the Warriors, the Lakers certainly have a lot to play for, as they are hoping to capture the number two seed in the West Division for the playoff tournament. They should like this matchup on Sunday, as the Celtics have struggled a bit against the top teams in the K1 League. The Lakers have three of the top sixteen scorers in the K1 League, led by LJ Harris and Tone Brooks, who are each averaging 19 points per game. The Celtics have struggled mightily to score the basketball, averaging just 56 points per game on offense. Jonathan Townsend has been their best scorer in recent weeks, but they need more guys to step up. Walter Hudson had a solid game against the Spurs, as he scored 15 points. Mendi Naylor and Donald Ellis have also been really good at times this year, but have been inconsistent. A fun matchup in this one will be Rob Anderson of the Lakers matching up on the inside against the Celtics' Jay Slone. Expect the Lakers to be the better team on the perimeter, as they are 11.5 point favorites in the opening game of Week 10.
1:30 pm - Spurs @ Nets
Although rosters look a little bit different this season, these two teams squared off in the Spring League championship game on May 9th. So in a de facto championship rematch, both teams desperately need a win as they are trying to improve their seeding for the playoff tournament. Although the Nets' record sits at just 5-5, they are playing some fantastic basketball as of late. They upset the 7-1 Bucks back in Week 8, before scoring a whopping 115 points against the Suns in Week 9. If the Nets want to beat a team as deep and complete as the Spurs, they need their stars to show up. We think it's worth mentioning that the Nets have still yet to lose with its full team on the court, but we also never know just who exactly will show up for them. Red Binion (25.8 ppg) is leading the K1 League in scoring, as he is coming off a 36-point performance against the Suns. Ronnie Jackson continues to score the ball, as he is averaging 16.8 ppg. Mook Lawrence has also been on fire the past couple of weeks, as he is averaging 14.8 ppg. And perhaps the x-factor for the Nets is big man TJ Wicks, who is averaging 14 points per game and 6.8 rebounds. For the Nets to hang with a team like the Spurs, all of these players need to show up, but perhaps none more than Wicks, who will be paired up with the Spurs' Seth Johnson, who is playing as well as any big man in the K1 League. The Spurs looked more like themselves this past week, as they scored 109 points in a win against the Celtics. If the Spurs distribute the ball like they did on Sunday, as they dished out 21 assists, they may be the best team in the K1 League with the depth that they have. We are really looking forward to this one, as these two teams both have big time playoff aspirations. Don't let the Nets' record fool you, as they are capable of playing with anyone in the K1 League, including the defending champions. The Spurs open as 6.5 point favorites, but we expect the Nets to push the Spurs more than any other team has been able to from the East Division.
2:30 pm - Bucks @ Heat
Two teams that got off to fantastic starts in the K1 League are now up against it in the East Division as they have combined to lose five straight games. Both teams suffered a fatal loss to the Bulls last week and their East Division chances could now be on life support. For both teams, their only path to winning the East is a win on Sunday, followed by a win in Week 11, and then a couple losses from the Bull. These two teams matched up back in Week 7 with the Bucks winning 65-51. In that game, the Heat were not ready to play, as they were still riding high from a win against the Spurs just two weeks before. Despite outrebounding the Bucks by 13, the Heat shot just 1/22 from behind the long line in that contest. What we don't know coming into this one is which players will be available on either side of the aisle. Kale Maupin continues to be a no-show for the Bucks, and Jordan Logan will be a game time decision following his shoulder injury a week ago. The Heat are in the same boat with forward Blake Graham, who has not played since Week 4, when the team inexplicably diminished his role on the court, despite scoring 23 points in Week 1 to win player of the week honors. What we do know on Sunday is that the Heat will be ready to play this time, and can't possibly shoot as bad as they did a week ago. Despite losing three straight games, the Bucks proved to the league that they can play with just about anyone, as they pushed the Warriors to OT. This one figures to be a dandy, in what should be a playoff like atmosphere. The Bucks open up as 2.5 point favorites, but could be in trouble on the glass if they don't have Maupin or Logan.
3:30 pm - Mavericks @ Suns
These two teams squared off back in Week 7, and gave us a thriller of a basketball game. At the time, neither team had a win on the season, as the Mavericks came roaring back from a 19-point second half deficit to pick up their first win of the season. Fast forward to this Sunday, and both teams still sit in the same position that they left their Wek 7 matchup. The Suns have no wins, and the Mavericks have just one win. So in the race for the fourth seed in the West Division, this figures to be a very important matchup. The Suns will desperately want this one, as it will likely be their final chance to pick up a win during the regular season, with matchups against the Warriors and Spurs to close out the season. For the Mavericks, they have had several close losses this year, but only once found themselves on the winning end. So as we look ahead to this rematch, there are several key players to mention. We''ll first start with the Mavericks, who have had a higher ceiling this year when their full roster plays. Unfortunately for them, leading scorer Braijon Thomas (17.9 ppg) has missed his past game and a half with a heel injury, and his status is unknown coming into this one. Big man Antwan Peterson has also been dealing with a groin injury, and quite frankly has not looked himself the past couple of weeks. If the Mavericks are to win this one without their two stars, they will need Jamir Hinds and Jamari Washington to be more efficient than they have been. Although they are both averaging double figures, they both go through stretches where they miss a lot of shots. For the Suns, their offense has struggled mightily since last playing the Mavericks. Leading scorer Devonte Barnes (15.3 ppg) has missed their past three games, and the effects have been clear, as the Suns are averaging just 47 points per game in those three contests. For the Suns to win on Sunday, they will need Barnes, as well as Michael Lonergan Jr. (11.4 ppg) and Ferra Johnson (9.4 ppg), to be at their best. As we prepare for Sunday's matchup, the Mavericks are 6.5 point favorites, assuming that they have Thomas and Peterson on the court. Without them, watch out for the Suns to pick up their first win of the K1 Fall League.
4:30 pm - Warriors @ Suns
The Warriors sit at 8-2, and are just three games away from finishing the K1 Fall League with the best record in the regular season - what an impressive feat this would be in their league debut. In the first of three games remaining, they take on the Suns (0-10) who are still in search of their first win. The Warriors are coming off a massive OT win against the Bucks a week ago, and they will look to ride that momentum into a Week 10 doubleheader. Perhaps one of the toughest parts about playing the Warriors is their depth, as they have five different players that average double figures. They also have had five different players lead them in scoring at one point or another this season. This extreme balance and depth makes them very difficult to guard, and they showed that last week against the Bucks. Latrell Tidwell had one of his best games of the season, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Just one week before, Tyree Mosley took home player of the week honors with a 36 point performance. The last time that Warriors faced the Suns, they won by a score of 95-37. In order for this one to be more competitive, the Suns will need their full array of players, as they been stuck with only five or six guys in their past four contests. With the Suns on the back end of a doubleheader, and the Warriors coming off a massive win a week ago, the Warriors will be huge favorites in this one. The Warriors are 35.5 point favorites in this Week 10 matchup.
5:30 pm - Warriors @ Bulls
The 9-2 Warriors take on the 7-3 Bulls in what would seem to be the game of the week matchup. Unfortunately for us fans, the Bulls will be without three of its starting five players, including its top two scorers in Benito Munoz and Seth Johnson. For that reason, the Warriors will have a serious edge in this one on Sunday, as they look to improve to a league-best 10-2. With both the Munoz brothers and Johnson being gone, the Bulls will only have five players, and that's if guard Marcell Maiden is able to play. Maiden injured his ankle towards the end of the first half in the Bulls win against the Heat in Week 9. As we monitor the status of Maiden, the Bulls may not even have enough guys to compete in this one. If they do, they will be without 44 points per game, and will only have one player that averages double figures (Bobby Crivokapich - 12.7 ppg). For the Warriors, they are coming off two massive wins against the Spurs and Bucks, and are in the driver's seat to win the West Division and finish with the best record in the league. Following their Week 10 doubleheader, they will finish the season with a fun matchup against the Nets. Although we may not get the matchup we wanted in this game, it wouldn't be a surprise to see these two teams square off again in the playoffs, with both teams at full strength. The Warriors open as 23.5 point favorites, and that's if the Bulls are able to field a team of five.