Riding a six-game winning streak, the Iwate Big Bulls have climbed closer to the top in the jam-packed Eastern Conference playoff race.
Five foes have 20 or more wins in the East, but sixth-place Iwate (19-15) finds itself in solid position to make a push for a higher playoff seeding in the bj-league's final season.
The Big Bulls reached the Final Four last May in their third and last season under veteran bench boss Dai Oketani, who moved closer to his native Kyoto by taking over as the Osaka Evessa's new leader.