There's no magic formula for the Rizing Fukuoka to swiftly climb in the Western Conference standings.
But first-year coach Tomohiro Moriyama's club has made steady progress in recent weeks. The Rizing improved to 10-14 on Sunday after a 71-66 victory over the visiting Aomori Wat's gave them a weekend split.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Moriyama credited his team's patience for the entire 40 minutes to execute its plays. "We want to step up as tightly as possible" for 40 minutes, he added.