The Final Four is set, with a pair of returning teams and two which haven't been to the big show for a few seasons.
There will be a first-time champion this season. The reigning champion Ryukyu Golden Kings were knocked off by the fifth-seeded Kyoto Hannaryz in a hard-nosed Western Conference semifinal series. And three other aspiring champions are in the Final Four: Niigata Albirex BB, Yokohama B-Corsairs and Rizing Fukuoka.
The Eastern Conference final on May 18 will tip off at 2:10 p.m. on Saturday at Ariake Colosseum as Niigata, the regular-season East champion faces No. 2 Yokohama. In the Western Conference final, No. 2 Fukuoka takes on fifth-seeded Kyoto in the 6:10 p.m. clash. The conference finals champions will face off in next Sunday's title game at 5:10 p.m., preceded by the third-place contest at 1:10.
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