The Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix made a habit of winning this season — 41 times in 52 games to be precise.
And now the playoffs begin, with veteran coach Kazuo Nakamura's club a heavy favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the championship game on May 23.
Hamamatsu faces the visiting Tokyo Apache (22-30) on Saturday and Sunday in the opening round of the playoffs.
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