John Neumann arrived in Fukuoka last September to coach a team without an identity, a team with a tricky spelling and a team that has quietly and courageously produced an impressive opening chapter.

The Rizing Fukuoka, winners of seven of their last 10 regular-season games, including six in a row to end the season, sneaked into the bj-league postseason with an exclamation point punctuating the feat. Neumann's club finished one game ahead of the Oita HeatDevils in the standings.

Fukuoka now shifts its focus to Sunday's wild-card contest against the host Takamatsu Five Arrows. Tipoff is 2 p.m.