Chapter Summaries

Sendoh repeatedly shut down Rukawa, disrupting Shohoku’s offense and forcing a timeout. After Anzai advised Rukawa to avoid Sendoh’s strengths and use his teammates, Rukawa used Sakuragi’s screen to get past Sendoh and dunk, leaving Shohoku with renewed momentum.

• Sendoh stole the ball from Rukawa, scored past his block, then stripped him again and blocked his attempted dunk.
• Shohoku called a timeout, and Anzai advised Rukawa not to challenge Sendoh head-on and to work more with his teammates.
• Sakuragi offered to replace Rukawa, but Anzai told him to set screens for Rukawa, prompting an argument between the two.
• After the timeout, Rukawa used Sakuragi’s position as a screen to evade Sendoh and drive to the basket.
• Rukawa leapt and slammed the ball through the hoop.

Sendoh used a smooth spin and a step-back three-pointer to score against Shohoku, drawing Liu Chuanfeng’s anger and resolve. Liu Chuanfeng then drove at Sendoh with sharper control and speed, breaking through his defense as Sendoh recognized his rapid improvement.

• Liu Chuanfeng scored after using Sakuragi Hanamichi as a screen, and Sendoh grew eager to test his limits.
• Chi Tong passed to Sendoh, who spun past Liu Chuanfeng and scored with a step-back shot beyond the three-point line.
• Sendoh teased Liu Chuanfeng about nearly defending him, prompting Liu Chuanfeng to charge toward Ryonan with renewed focus.
• Liu Chuanfeng used rapid crossovers and a sudden burst of speed to slip past Sendoh, who was surprised by his improvement.

Liu Chuanfeng tried to score past Yu Zhu, but Sendoh caught up and blocked his shot, allowing Chi Tong and Fukuda Kicchou to turn the play into a fast-break basket for Ryonan. As Shohoku fell further behind, Miyagi Ryota ignored Liu Chuanfeng’s call for another one-on-one attack and prepared to control the offense himself.

• Liu Chuanfeng used a series of hand switches to get past Yu Zhu and attempt a shot, but Sendoh caught up and blocked it from behind.
• Chi Tong secured the rebound and immediately launched a long pass to Fukuda Kicchou, who scored an uncontested layup for Ryonan.
• Shohoku’s players reacted to the fast-break basket, while Liu Chuanfeng grew more determined to challenge Sendoh alone.
• When Shohoku attacked again, Liu Chuanfeng called for the ball, but Miyagi Ryota ignored him and surveyed the court instead.

Mitsui Hisashi took over Shohoku’s offense, repeatedly scoring three-pointers despite Yueye Hongming’s defense. When Yueye Hongming rushed close enough to disrupt one shot, he realized that physical pressure might be Mitsui Hisashi’s weakness.

• Gongcheng Liangtian passed the ball to Mitsui Hisashi, shifting Shohoku’s attack toward outside shots.
• Mitsui Hisashi repeatedly made three-pointers while Yueye Hongming struggled to contain him.
• Yueye Hongming decided to seek help from his teammates or find another way to counter Mitsui Hisashi’s skill.
• Yueye Hongming rushed in close as Mitsui Hisashi prepared to shoot, disrupting his form, though the shot still went in.
• Yueye Hongming recalled that his close pressure had made the shot clang off the rim and suspected he had found a way to affect Mitsui Hisashi.

Yueye Hongming disrupted Mitsui Hisashi’s shot, but Rukawa’s explosive putback dunk awakened his Wildness and shifted Shohoku’s momentum. Rukawa then charged at Sendoh with newfound speed, leaving the next play unresolved.

• Yueye Hongming closely guarded Mitsui Hisashi and disrupted his shot, causing the ball to bounce off the backboard.
• Rukawa caught the rebound in midair and slammed it into the hoop, startling Ryonan’s players.
• Sendoh and Chi Tong recognized Rukawa’s sudden speed and sensed that he had awakened Wildness.
• Rukawa attacked again with greater speed, and Sendoh slid across his path to stop him.

Rukawa broke through Sendoh and Ryonan’s defense to score with a double-clutch, while Chi Tong remained unimpressed by his newly awakened Wildness. On Ryonan’s next possession, Chi Tong calmly evaded Sakuragi Hanamichi’s planned ambush and crossover steal.

• Rukawa escaped Sendoh’s defense, drove past two Lingnan players, and scored with a double-clutch over Uozumi.
• Rukawa’s glare provoked Sendoh, but Chi Tong judged that his Wildness was not yet enough to concern him.
• Chi Tong increased Ryonan’s offensive tempo and advanced against Miyagi Ryota as Shohoku set its defense.
• Miyagi Ryota subtly exposed a gap to lure Chi Tong, while Sakuragi Hanamichi prepared to steal the ball.
• Chi Tong crossed the ball to his other hand to evade Sakuragi Hanamichi’s ambush and calmly identified him.

Chi Tong broke through Sakuragi Hanamichi and Miyagi Ryota’s double-team, then made a three-pointer that stunned Shohoku. As Ryonan hurried back to defend, a red blur raced toward their basket, leaving them scrambling to react.

• Sakuragi Hanamichi and Miyagi Ryota double-teamed Chi Tong after Sakuragi’s ambush failed.
• Chi Tong used Words of Heaven and Earth to anticipate their movements and sent both players tumbling to the floor.
• Chi Tong stopped beyond the three-point line and declared that he could shoot threes.
• Chi Tong made the three-pointer while Shohoku’s defenders were too stunned to stop him.
• A red blur rushed toward Ryonan’s basket as the Ryonan players turned to face the approaching attack.

Rukawa awakened the Wildness of a Wolf King and dominated the game, forcing Ryonan to call a timeout. Chi Tong told Taoka Moichi he had a plan to deal with Rukawa, and the game resumed with Taoka still uneasy.

• Rukawa sped past Ryonan’s defense and scored repeatedly as his Wolf King Wildness fully emerged.
• Chi Tong and Sendoh recognized the beastly phantom behind Rukawa as a Wolf King and were impressed by his transformation.
• Rukawa continued scoring with breakaway shots, layups, and three-pointers until Ryonan called a timeout.
• Taoka Moichi urged the team to contain Rukawa, but Chi Tong interrupted and said he already had a plan.
• The timeout ended and the game resumed while Taoka watched anxiously from the bench.

Liu Chuanfeng continued scoring against Ryonan’s defense as Shohoku closed the gap, but Maki Shinichi recognized that Chi Tong’s playmaking was keeping Ryonan in control. As Liu Chuanfeng drove past Sendoh into the paint, Maki realized Chi Tong had a larger plan.

• Coach Taoka signaled Ryonan to double- and triple-team Liu Chuanfeng, but Liu still scored or passed to open teammates.
• Hainan’s Aota Nobunaga questioned why Ryonan was not stopping Liu, while Shen Zong speculated that the team had a plan.
• Maki Shinichi noted that only Chi Tong and Sendoh could truly challenge Liu, then explained that Ryonan was keeping Shohoku from overtaking despite Liu’s scoring surge.
• Maki recognized that Chi Tong’s precise passes were stabilizing Ryonan’s offense and disrupting Shohoku’s attacks, and he realized why Chi Tong had not activated Wildness.
• Liu Chuanfeng crossed past Sendoh and drove into Ryonan’s paint.

Shohoku fought back against Ryonan in the final minute of the first half. Mitsui Hisashi hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to put Shohoku ahead 47–46 at halftime.

• Liu Chuanfeng scored past Yu Zhu to bring Shohoku within one point, making the score 44–43.
• Chi Tong set up an easy Ryonan basket that restored the lead to three points.
• Takenori Akagi looked for a way through Ryonan’s defense, then passed to Ryota Miyagi after Yueye Hongming cut off the lane to Mitsui Hisashi.
• Ryota Miyagi sent a low pass between Yueye Hongming’s legs to the open Mitsui Hisashi.
• Mitsui Hisashi made a buzzer-beating three-pointer, giving Shohoku a 47–46 lead as the first half ended.

Shohoku and Ryonan players reflected on the first half, while Miyagi Ryota and Mitsui Hisashi grew suspicious of Ryonan’s unusually passive defense against Liu Chuanfeng. The chapter ended with Mitsui confirming that he had noticed the same strange behavior, though neither player knew why Ryonan had held back.

• Xiangtian Yanyi, Shishang Liang'er, Uekusa, and Yueye Hongming discussed Shohoku’s late lead and worried about Ryonan’s chances in the second half.
• The Ryonan players realized Chi Tong was missing, and Sendoh said Chi Tong had gone back out after they entered the locker room.
• Miyagi Ryota remained distracted in Shohoku’s locker room, and Sakuragi Hanamichi startled him into responding.
• Miyagi told Ayako that Ryonan had barely tried to contain Liu Chuanfeng, and Ayako wondered if they had deliberately let him score.
• Mitsui Hisashi agreed that Ryonan’s passivity had seemed strange to him during the first half.

Takenori Akagi grew uneasy over Ryonan’s calm despite trailing, while Chi Tong Ling Yu remained confident when Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari challenged him in the corridor. Halftime ended with the second half about to begin.

• Mumu Gongyan warned his teammates not to spread speculation that could hurt their performance.
• Takenori Akagi recalled Ryonan’s composed departure from the court and suspected they were concealing a plan.
• Chi Tong Ling Yu met Sawakita Eiji and Fukatsu Kazunari by a vending machine and explained that Ryonan had studied its potential opponents.
• Sawakita Eiji taunted Chi Tong Ling Yu about Ryonan’s troubles, but Chi Tong declared that Ryonan would win the championship.
• Fukatsu Kazunari called Chi Tong Ling Yu interesting as he watched him leave, and halftime ended.

Ryonan and Shohoku began the second half with both teams and their fans energized, while Ryonan’s unnerving calm made Akagi suspect a hidden plan. Ryonan manipulated the jump ball so Chi Tong could seize possession, leaving Shohoku caught off guard.

• Akagi questioned Yu Zhu about Ryonan’s composure, and Yu Zhu warned him not to let his guard down.
• Miyagi watched Chi Tong and the other Ryonan players but could find no sign of their intentions.
• Akagi and Yu Zhu contested the second-half jump ball and struck it at the same time.
• Yu Zhu eased off after contact, sending the ball toward Ryonan’s half and revealing that Ryonan had set up the jump.
• Chi Tong anticipated the ball’s path and caught it for Ryonan.

Ryonan exploited Shohoku’s defensive lapses to score a three-pointer, then Chi Tong stole Miyagi Ryota’s dribble and launched a counterattack that ended with Uozumi’s dunk. Ryonan led 51–47 as Shohoku struggled to understand how quickly the game had turned.

• Chi Tong passed the jump ball to Fukuda Kicchou, who drew Shohoku’s defenders before passing back to Yueye Hongming for a three-pointer that put Ryonan ahead 49–47.
• Mitsui Hisashi regretted leaving Yueye Hongming open while Shohoku rushed to defend Fukuda’s drive.
• Chi Tong stole the ball from Miyagi Ryota and passed to Sento, who charged toward Shohoku’s basket.
• Sendoh smiled at Rukawa and passed around his interception attempt to Yu Zhu beneath the basket.
• Uozumi caught Sendoh’s pass and dunked, extending Ryonan’s lead to 51–47.
• Mitsui Hisashi questioned how Ryonan had stolen the ball so soon after Shohoku began its possession.

Shohoku fought back against Ryonan as Liu Chuanfeng broke past Sendoh and scored, narrowing the gap to 51–49. Ryonan began its next attack with Chi Tong holding the ball under pressure from Miyagi Ryota.

• Miyagi Ryota resumed Shohoku's attack cautiously and passed to Liu Chuanfeng before crossing midcourt.
• Liu Chuanfeng used a risky feint and explosive move to slip past Sendoh and score, bringing the score to Ryonan 51, Shohoku 49.
• Sendoh answered Liu Chuanfeng's provocation with a calm smile as Ryonan began its counterattack.
• Chi Tong passed to Yueye Hongming, but Mitsui Hisashi's tight defense forced Yueye Hongming to return the ball to Chi Tong.
• Miyagi Ryota stepped up to challenge Chi Tong as Ryonan's possession continued.

Fukuda Kicchou scored for Ryonan after a passing combination, and Liu Chuanfeng answered as Shohoku and Ryonan traded baskets. From the stands, Aota Nobunaga and his companions noticed unusual patterns in both teams’ offense and defense.

• Chi Tong feinted past Gongcheng Liangtian and passed to Fukuda Kicchou, who drove toward the basket as Sakuragi Hanamichi pursued him.
• Fukuda Kicchou passed to Yu Zhu, who evaded Akagi Takenori’s block and returned the ball to Fukuda, who scored to put Ryonan ahead 53–49.
• Sakuragi Hanamichi roared at Fukuda Kicchou, but Fukuda ignored him and returned to defense.
• Liu Chuanfeng broke through Sento’s defense and scored, as Ryonan’s team passing and Shohoku’s reliance on Liu kept the teams trading baskets.
• Aota Nobunaga asked his teammates what seemed strange about the game, and Jin Soichiro and Takasago Kazuma pointed out Shohoku’s reliance on Liu and Ryonan’s unusual man-to-man defense.

Ryonan’s plan to exhaust Liu Chuanfeng succeeded, and Sendoh stole the ball to score and widen the lead. As Shohoku stared in shock, an immense, ferocious presence appeared behind Sendoh.

• Jin Soichiro and Maki Shinichi recognized that Ryonan had left Sendoh alone to defend Liu Chuanfeng while tightening its defense against Shohoku’s other players.
• Maki Shinichi explained that Liu Chuanfeng’s Wildness was draining his stamina and speculated that Sendoh might also possess Wildness.
• Sannoh Industrial High School’s players discussed Ryonan’s strategy of wearing Liu Chuanfeng down, while Sawakita Eiji praised Chi Tong’s plan.
• Five minutes into the second half, Liu Chuanfeng stumbled during a drive, revealing how exhausted he had become.
• Sendoh seized the ball from Liu Chuanfeng, raced down the court, and dunked to put Ryonan ahead 66–59.
• Shohoku’s players saw an enormous, fanged shadow appear behind Sendoh and stared at him in disbelief.

Sendoh revealed his Wildness as a giant shark phantom, and Shohoku called a timeout after realizing Liu Chuanfeng had been worn down. Chi Tong’s plan had put Ryonan in control, and the teams returned to the court with Shohoku preparing to fight for its last chance.

• Sendoh unveiled his Wildness, and Anxi Guangyi called a timeout as Shohoku saw Liu Chuanfeng’s exhaustion.
• Akagi watched Chi Tong with frustration as he feared Ryonan stood between Shohoku and the National Tournament finals.
• Taoka Moichi praised the team and explained that Chi Tong’s plan had used Ryonan’s offense and defense to drain Liu Chuanfeng’s stamina.
• Chi Tong ordered Yueye Hongming and Murabe to deny Mitsui Hisashi shots and wear him down, while Fukuda Kicchou was assigned to disrupt Sakuragi Hanamichi and draw fouls.
• The timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court as Shohoku resolved to fight for its remaining chance.

Ryonan tightened its defense as Shohoku’s key players ran out of stamina, and Sendoh extended the lead with a dunk off Chi Tong’s steal and assist. Shohoku’s offense had become increasingly restricted, leaving Ryonan in control as the game continued.

• Liu Chuanfeng entered the court furious at Sendoh for wearing him down before revealing his Wildness.
• Chi Tong stole Miyagi Ryota’s pass, broke his balance with crossovers, and raced downcourt.
• Akagi and Sakuragi Hanamichi closed in on Chi Tong, who lofted a pass for Sendoh to catch and dunk, putting Ryonan ahead 68–59.
• Rukawa Kaede reached his physical limit after fighting with Wildness active and became a diminished scoring threat.
• Chi Tong’s pressure made Miyagi Ryota hesitant, disrupting Shohoku’s passing and narrowing its offensive options.
• Yueye Hongming exploited Mitsui Hisashi’s fading stamina, helping Ryonan gain the advantage in the shooting-guard matchup.

Ryonan’s tactics wore down and disrupted every Shohoku starter, leaving the team unable to mount an attack as its coach declined to call a timeout. Fukatsu Kazunari concluded that Shohoku had lost and left, certain Ryonan would be the next opponent.

• Yueye Hongming exhausted Mitsui Hisashi by shadowing and provoking him, while Yu Zhu gained the upper hand over a distracted Akagi.
• Fukuda Kicchou baited Sakuragi Hanamichi into mistakes and two fouls, disrupting his composure.
• Ryonan’s defense shut down Shohoku across the court, and the scoreboard made the team’s worsening position clear.
• Anxi Guangyi considered calling a timeout but lowered his hand, knowing it could not restore Shohoku’s stamina or undo Ryonan’s tactics.
• Fukatsu Kazunari left the arena, telling Sawakita Eiji that Shohoku had no chance of a comeback with Ryonan’s number 4 on the court.