This weekend marks the Niigata Albirex BB's first trip to Ariake Colosseum during the 2007-08 season.
Coach Masaya Hirose's team has played the Tokyo Apache four times before its orange-clad, rowdy fans at home: Jan. 5-6 and Jan. 19-20, and Niigata is 4-0 against the Joe Bryant-coached club.
This weekend's Showdown in Kanto could prove to be a pivotal pair of games for both teams' playoff aspirations. Saturday's game tips off at 6 p.m. Sunday's matinee matchup commences at 2 p.m.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.