The Ryukyu Golden Kings' 43-9 regular-season record was no accident.
Coach Tsutomu Isa's team plays feisty, opportunistic and, most important, strong fundamental defense.
This has never been more evident than in the bj-league's Western Conference final at Ariake Colosseum on Saturday night. Exhibit A: The Western Conference's top seed held the No. 2 Kyoto Hannaryz to 17 or fewer points in each of the four quarters.