When he arrived in the city alongside picturesque Lake Biwa , the well-traveled Josh Peppers gave the Shiga Lakestars an added component that every team covets: a professional scorer.
But now Shiga, which is in the thick of things in the Western Conference playoff race, faces a pivotal stretch without Peppers, who made his season debut on Feb. 5. Peppers, who sustained a foot injury last week (plantar fasciitis), said he'll be sidelined for a month.
The Lakestars (26-18), winners of three straight, are currently in fourth place — but only three games behind the first-place Ryukyu Golden Kings — in the nine-team West. Six of those clubs will advance to postseason play.