Christmas is only three days away, but it's probably safe to assume the Niigata Albirex BB players and coaches have already received the one gift they wanted from Hoops Santa: to be in first place at this stage of the season.
Masaya Hirose
Niigata, winners of five straight, have a four-game lead in the bj-league standings after recording back-to-back wins over the Toyama Grouses last weekend.