After the long regular season, 16 teams remain in the hunt for the bj-league title.
The three-weekend postseason tournament tips off on Saturday with eight first-round series openers, four from each conference.
The Western Conference’s top-seeded Kyoto Hannaryz (41-11) play host to the No. 8 Rizing Fukuoka (20-32), while the three-time champion and No. 2 seed Ryukyu Golden Kings (40-12) meet the No. 7 Kanazawa Samuraiz (27-23), an expansion team. No. 3 Shimane Susanoo Magic (37-15) face No. 6 Osaka Evessa (35-17), another three-time title winner, and reigning champion Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix (36-16), the No. 4 seed whose third title last May wasn’t locked up until the final seconds, take on the No. 5 Shiga Lakestars (35-17), who reached the Final Four for the first time last spring.