Guard Yuki Kitamuki had a breakthrough performance last weekend for the Saitama Broncos, scoring 17 fourth-quarter points on Saturday and 15 more on Sunday in a series sweep over the Niigata Albirex BB. He is the Circle K Sunkus Player of the Week, the bj-league announced on Tuesday.

Kitamuki, who played sparingly in his 11 games with Saitama last season, scored 27 points, including 7-for-10 on 3-point shots, on Saturday. He had 25 more in the series finale to help Saitama improve to 4-0, the best record in the Eastern Conference.

In related news, Ryukyu Golden Kings center Jeff Newton was named the league's MVP for October. Newton, who collected three championship rings as a member of the Osaka Evessa dynasty, has helped his new team begin the season with a 4-0 record. Newton is averaging 28.5 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocked shots per game.