Defense rules in basketball, a stale cliche that rings as true in the bj-league as it does elsewhere in the hoops world.
The bj-league has injected new life into Japan's hoops scene in its inaugural season, but the elements of the game itself are not completely different: Defense still wins championships.
And as teams head into the stretch run of the 40-game season, it should be no surprise that the strongest defensive teams are the same squads that preside atop the standings.