In the season's first 24 games, the Osaka Evessa, the bj-league's first powerhouse team, collected five victories.
They've now played 10 games under new head coach Bill Cartwright. Their record in that span? Five wins and five defeats.
The Evessa snapped a three-game losing streak on Sunday, clamping down defensively in a 69-53 triumph over the host Kyoto Hannaryz in Muko, Kyoto Prefecture.