Basketball On The Internet.

ADAM Forde is a rookie NBL coach to whom fate this season has been diabolically unkind. Yet week-in and week-out it seems, he is managing to draw stellar performances from a Sydney Kings team often considered more notable for its absentees than its personnel.

But the NBL is not so much about personnel as it is about performance and Forde has his team humming, so much so that it is back again as our NBL Team of the Week.

For starters, the Kings travelled down to Melbourne and handed fellow finals combatant South East Melbourne Phoenix a 20-point belting.

Then it was on to Wollongong and the WIN Entertainment Centre to battle derby and traditional rival Illawarra, another team in the hunt for the two available Final Four spots behind Melbourne and Perth.

And, bear in mind, Hawks fans were celebrating the 20th anniversary of their 2001 NBL championship team so the buzz in the Sandpit was very real.

But when it came down to it, Sydney again was up to the challenge, taking out Illawarra in overtime with Craig Moller capping the win with a game-clinching 3-pointer.

Now also remember this. Xavier Cooks was a big preseason signing but was lost to what now appears a season-ending injury. Daniel Kickert started the season on the injured list and star import "big" Jarell Martin opened playing managed minutes and also has had subsequent issues with injury.

Off-season recruit Angus Glover was lost to injury early and Next Star Didi Louzada was in-and-out with a series of injuries.

Kickert returned, then went out again but is back now, and hot Rookie of the Year favourite Dejan Vasiljevic ruptured an Achilles tendon, ending his season.

Shortly after, Louzada left to take up a contract with the NBA's New Orleans Pelicans. Yes. It could be easy to believe Coach Forde not only crossed the path of a black cat, but kicked it, such has been his team's run of bad luck.

But they have kept winning, Shaun Bruce even this round producing a career-high 13 rebounds, coming on top of Casper Ware's NBL season-best 40-point haul. The Kings' newest challange  will be covering the absence of warrior Brad Newley, who injured a foot in the Hawks' win and is now expected to be out for four-to-six weeks.

Don't back against them though. This team has heart. Maybe it's even the King of Hearts.

Meanwhile out west, alleged finals wannabes the Brisbane Bullets phoned in another lame result to claim Team of the Weak As P--- "honours", joining the similarly untrustworthy Adelaide 36ers as three-time "winners" of the award. 

BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET TEAM OF THE WEEK
Round 1 Illawarra Hawks
Round 2 Illawarra Hawks
Round 3 Adelaide 36ers
Round 4 South East Melbourne Phoenix
Round 5 Melbourne United
Round 6 Perth Wildcats
Round 7 Brisbane Bullets
Round 8 Brisbane Bullets
Round 9 South East Melbourne Phoenix
Round 10 Sydney Kings
Round 11 Perth Wildcats
Round 12 South East Melbourne Phoenix
Round 13 Adelaide 36ers
Round 14 New Zealand Breakers
Round 15 Sydney Kings

BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET TEAM OF THE WEAK AS P---
Round 1 Not awarded
Round 2 Not awarded
Round 3 Not awarded
Round 4 Adelaide 36ers
Round 5 Perth Wildcats
Round 6 (Cup Rd.1) Not awarded
Round 7 (Cup Rd.2) Adelaide 36ers
Round 8 (Cup Rd.3) Not awarded
Round 9 (Cup Rd.4) Adelaide 36ers
Round 10 Cairns Taipans
Round 11 Brisbane Bullets
Round 12 Not awarded
Round 13 Not awarded
Round 14 Brisbane Bullets
Round 15 Brisbane Bullets

BASKETBALL ON THE INTERNET PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Round 1 Daniel Johnson
Round 2 Tyler Harvey
Round 3 Vic Law
Honourary Rd 4 Mention Casper Ware
Honourary Rd 5 Mention Casper Ware
Honourary Rd6 Mention Bryce Cotton
Honourary Rd7 Mention Nathan Sobey
Honourary Rd8 Mention Tai Webster/Dejan Vasiljevic
Honourary Rd9 Mention Bryce Cotton
Honourary Rd10 Mention Bryce Cotton
Honourary Rd11 Mention Chris Goulding
Honourary Rd12 Mention Colton Iverson
Honourary Rd13 Mention Jock Landale
Honourary Rd14 Mention Levi Randoplh
Honourary Rd15 Mention Finn Delany