The Rizing Fukuoka have quietly put together a solid stretch of games and now find themselves in the thick of things in the bj-league's Western Conference.
Since starting the season with three straight losses, the Rizing have won four of their last five games.
Fukuoka (4-4) faces a big test this weekend, taking on the Western Conference's first-place team, the Takamatsu Five Arrows (8-2), on Friday and Saturday at home.