Chapter Summaries

Ryota Kudo and Shohoku’s players kept pace with Sannoh as Hisashi Mitsui fought through exhaustion to tie the game at 30-30. After Mitsui collapsed, Coach Anzai praised him and sent him to rest, saying Shohoku would need his three-pointers in the second half.

• Ryota Kudo scored an and-one against Eiji Sawakita, then assisted Ryota Miyagi on a three-pointer to keep Shohoku close.
• Sawakita, Masashi Kawata, Fukatsu, and Satoshi Ichinokura helped Sannoh maintain its pressure while Ichinokura relentlessly guarded Hisashi Mitsui.
• Mitsui used Masashi Kawata as an unexpected screen, took Kudo’s pass, and hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 30-30.
• Mitsui collapsed from exhaustion, and Coach Anzai sent Kiminobu Kogure and Satoru Kakuta to help him off the court.
• Coach Anzai reassured Mitsui that he had done well and told him Shohoku would need him in the second half.

Ryota Kudo gave Shohoku a 32-30 halftime lead over Sannoh with a buzzer-beating fadeaway. In the locker room, Coach Anzai warned that Sannoh would unleash a full-court press and assigned Shohoku’s exhausted players their roles for the second half.

• Hisashi Mitsui left the game, and Kiminobu Kogure substituted in.
• Ryota Kudo beat Masahiro Nobe and scored a buzzer-beater over Eiji Sawakita and Masashi Kawata, giving Shohoku a 32-30 lead at halftime.
• Ryota Kudo watched Sawakita leave the court and worried that Sannoh still had much more stamina while he had already spent nearly all his strength.
• Coach Anzai told Shohoku that Sannoh would use a full-court press to try to build a double-digit lead within five minutes.
• Coach Anzai instructed Ryota Miyagi to use his speed, Ryota Kudo to break the press with his training, the other players to get open and screen, and Hisashi Mitsui to save his strength for a decisive shot.

Sannoh Industrial High School opened the second half with a relentless Full-Court Press that overwhelmed Shohoku and built an eleven-point lead. Ryota Kudo broke through the trap once and scored, but Sannoh’s pressure kept generating steals and fast breaks as the five-minute run ended with the score at 47-36.

• Hanamichi Sakuragi tipped the opening jump ball to Ryota Miyagi, but Fukatsu, Sawakita, and Ichinokura trapped Miyagi and forced a traveling violation.
• Masashi Kawata dunked Fukatsu’s inbound pass to tie the score, then Minoru Matsumoto stole the ball from Miyagi and scored to put Sannoh ahead.
• Ryota Kudo used Phantom Dance Steps, a feint, and a shot fake to break through Sannoh’s three-man trap and score a layup, tying the game at 34-34.
• Sannoh repeatedly trapped Shohoku’s ball handlers, turning steals and rebounds into scores while Kogure and Rukawa missed shots.
• Kudo scored a difficult fadeaway, but Kawata and Sawakita answered with a three-point play and a double-clutch layup.
• Sannoh’s Full-Court Press fueled a 15-2 run in five minutes, leaving Shohoku trailing 47-36.

Takenori Akagi returned to the court despite his injured ankle, restoring Shohoku’s confidence and strengthening its defense against Sannoh. Sannoh still led 49-38, but Akagi scored on his first possession back as Shohoku began its counterattack.

• With Shohoku struggling and falling behind 47-36, Coach Anzai sent Takenori Akagi in for Kiminobu Kogure.
• Akagi took his place under the basket and rallied Shohoku, reigniting his teammates and the silent supporters.
• Eiji Sawakita drove past Kaede Rukawa and scored a fadeaway jumper, extending Sannoh’s lead to 49-36.
• Ryota Miyagi used Akagi’s screen to get past Kazunari Fukatsu and bring the ball across half court.
• Akagi sealed off Masashi Kawata, received Ryota Kudo’s lob, and scored a short floater to make it 49-38.

Shohoku mounted a comeback as Hanamichi Sakuragi’s midrange shot forced Sannoh to guard him outside the paint, while his rebound and Kaede Rukawa’s scoring cut into the lead. Rukawa then beat Eiji Sawakita with Sawakita’s own move, leaving Sawakita to devote more attention to the first-year and ease the pressure on Ryota Kudo.

• Masashi Kawata overpowered the injured Takenori Akagi for a dunk, and Coach Anzai substituted Hanamichi Sakuragi into the game.
• Ryota Kudo found Sakuragi open near the free-throw line, and Sakuragi made the midrange shot to punish Sannoh for packing the paint.
• Kawata missed against Akagi and Sakuragi’s double-team, and Sakuragi grabbed the rebound to start a fast break that ended with Kaede Rukawa dunking.
• Eiji Sawakita answered with a fadeaway jumper over Rukawa, but Rukawa later copied Sawakita’s driving move and scored a twisting layup past him and Masahiro Nobe.
• Sawakita recognized Rukawa’s rapid improvement and realized he would have to spend more energy guarding him, reducing the pressure he could put on Ryota Kudo.

With Shohoku trailing Sannoh by nine, Hisashi Mitsui returned to the game and hit two crucial three-pointers, while Ryota Kudo blocked Eiji Sawakita to spark a fast break. Mitsui’s second shot cut Sannoh’s lead to three.

• Masashi Kawata scored against an injured Takenori Akagi, pushing Sannoh’s lead to nine as Akagi struggled with his ankle.
• Coach Anzai sent Hisashi Mitsui in for Satoru Kakuta, and Sannoh put Satoshi Ichinokura on him.
• Hanamichi Sakuragi screened Ichinokura long enough for Ryota Kudo to pass to Mitsui, who hit a three-pointer to make the score 67-61.
• Eiji Sawakita beat Kaede Rukawa and drove toward the basket, but Ryota Kudo blocked his layup attempt.
• Ryota Miyagi advanced the ball, and Kaede Rukawa passed to an open Mitsui, who made another three-pointer to cut Sannoh’s lead to 67-64.

Sannoh Industrial High School exploited Takenori Akagi’s injured ankle and Masashi Kawata’s dominance to build a seventeen-point lead over Shohoku. With the game nearly lost, Ryota Kudo entered ZONE.

• Eiji Sawakita scored against Shohoku, then Ryota Kudo slipped past him and passed to an unguarded Takenori Akagi, whose injured ankle forced him to take a standing shot that Masashi Kawata blocked.
• Masashi Kawata launched a fast break with Eiji Sawakita and dunked through Ryota Kudo for a basket and a foul.
• Masashi Kawata overwhelmed Takenori Akagi with varied scoring moves and blocked Shohoku’s inside attempts as Sannoh extended its lead to 86-69 with five minutes remaining.
• Coach Anzai called a timeout while Shohoku’s exhausted players faced the seventeen-point deficit and Takenori Akagi watched from the bench with his injured ankle.
• Ryota Kudo’s desperation broke open the gate within his consciousness, and he entered ZONE again.

After entering ZONE, Ryota Kudo stole the ball and scored through Sannoh’s defense, then disrupted Eiji Sawakita’s three-point attempt and made a deep three of his own. Shohoku cut the score to 74-86, and Shinichi Maki decided the game was still winnable.

• Ryota Kudo entered ZONE, and Eiji Sawakita recognized the state from their earlier encounter and grew excited to face him.
• Ryota Kudo stole Hisashi Mitsui’s inbound pass, broke through Sannoh’s defenders, and scored a layup to make it 71-86.
• Eiji Sawakita answered with a three-point attempt, but Ryota Kudo disrupted the shot and Hanamichi Sakuragi secured the rebound.
• Ryota Kudo caught Sakuragi’s outlet and made a deep three-pointer from beyond NBA range, cutting Sannoh’s lead to 74-86.
• Shinichi Maki sat back down after seeing Ryota Kudo’s performance, while Soichiro Jin resolved to practice 200 deep threes.

Ryota Kudo’s Zone-fueled dominance turned Shohoku’s nine-point deficit against Sannoh into a four-point lead. With 1 minute and 10 seconds left, he drove through all five defenders and scored to make it 90-86.

• Ryota Kudo stole the inbound, scored through Eiji Sawakita’s foul, and made the free throw to cut Sannoh’s lead to nine points.
• Ryota Kudo blocked Masashi Kawata’s dunk, then blocked Sawakita’s three-point attempt and forced a shot-clock violation.
• Ryota Kudo scored a deep three and led Shohoku’s comeback with a fast-break dunk, a driving basket, an offensive foul drawn, and a pass that let Kaede Rukawa tie the game at 86-86.
• Ryota Kudo stole Fukatsu’s errant pass and scored over Sawakita and Minoru Matsumoto to put Shohoku ahead, 88-86.
• Hanamichi Sakuragi rebounded Sawakita’s missed three and passed to Ryota Kudo, who drove through all five Sannoh defenders and scored to extend Shohoku’s lead to 90-86.

Ryota Kudo led Shohoku to a 95-86 victory over Sannoh with a solo 26-0 run in the final five minutes, then collapsed from the strain as his teammates celebrated. Eiji Sawakita accepted the loss and vowed to win it back next year.

• Ryota Kudo scored a long-range three at the buzzer to complete Shohoku’s 26-0 run and secure a 95-86 win over Sannoh.
• Kudo collapsed from exhaustion and pain after the final whistle, while Eiji Sawakita watched in shock and accepted his defeat.
• Hanamichi Sakuragi and the Shohoku players celebrated by hugging Kudo and tossing him into the air as Eri Fujisawa worried about his condition.
• Goro Domoto comforted the disappointed Sannoh players and encouraged them to learn from the loss.
• Mikio Kawata doubted Sannoh could win a championship next year, but Eiji Sawakita promised to reclaim the victory.

After Shohoku defeated Sannoh Industrial High School, Ryota Kudo exchanged congratulations and a promise to win tomorrow’s final with Eiji Sawakita. Coach Kazuo Karasawa and Shota Sugiyama invited Kudo to join the U16 Japan National Team, but he declined to focus on improving and pursuing the NBA.

• Eiji Sawakita congratulated Ryota Kudo after Sannoh Industrial High School’s loss and urged him not to lose the final.
• Ryota Kudo promised Sawakita that Shohoku would win the next day’s final.
• Coach Anzai told the exhausted Shohoku players to return to the hotel and rest while he and Ayako Inoue scouted the other semifinal.
• Shota Sugiyama and Coach Kazuo Karasawa invited Ryota Kudo to join Fukasawa University of Physical Education and represent the Japan National Team in the U16 Asian Youth Championship.
• Ryota Kudo declined the national team invitation, saying he wanted to improve and eventually play in the NBA.

After Ryota Kudo turned down the national team proposal, he rested until Kogure summoned him to a team meeting. Coach Anzai revealed that Hakata Shodai Affiliated High School had routed Meihou Industrial and would face Shohoku in the final, warning the team not to underestimate them.

• Coach Karasawa told Shota Sugiyama that Kudo had reacted to the national team offer with instinctive aversion, so they decided to revisit it in a few years.
• Kudo returned to his hotel room exhausted and fell into a deep sleep after bathing.
• Kogure woke Kudo and called him to a meeting about Shohoku's finals opponent; Kudo then encountered the exhausted Mitsui in the hallway.
• Sakuragi guessed that Shohoku would face Meihou Industrial and boasted that he would stop Hiroshi Morishige.
• Anzai announced that Hakata Shodai Affiliated High School had beaten Meihou Industrial 92-68 and warned Shohoku that the final could be harder than expected.

Coach Anzai briefed Shohoku on Hakata Shodai’s balanced lineup and cohesive style before telling the players to rest for the next day’s game. After going out for a walk, Ryota Kudo encountered Eri Fujisawa outside the hotel, where she admitted she had been hoping to see him.

• Coach Anzai described Hakata Shodai’s five strong starters and explained how their teamwork had defeated Meihou Industrial High School.
• Coach Anzai told Shohoku to recover and said they would review specific tactics and practice the next morning.
• Ryota Kudo left the hotel to explore Hiroshima and spotted Eri Fujisawa sitting alone near the entrance.
• Ryota approached Eri, who explained that she had brought his mother to her room and had waited nearby hoping to see him.

Ryota Kudo and Eri Fujisawa spent a relaxed evening exploring Hiroshima, sharing food and gradually growing closer before holding hands. Ryota’s mother spotted them together from across the street and hurried back inside the shop, astonished and delighted.

• Ryota Kudo found Eri Fujisawa waiting outside and learned she had hoped to be near him.
• Eri offered to guide Ryota around Hiroshima and show him places to eat, and he happily accepted.
• Ryota and Eri sampled local food, chatted about everyday interests, and naturally joined hands as they walked.
• Eri linked her arm through Ryota’s, while neither noticed Ryota’s mother, Shizuka Kudo’s mother, and Shizuka watching them from a clothing shop.
• Ryota’s mother recognized the couple across the street and rushed back into the shop, silently overwhelmed by delight.

The evening before the finals, Shizuka and the two mothers spotted Ryota Kudo and Eri Fujisawa together but agreed not to interrupt them. After Eri’s affectionate encouragement helped ease his nerves, Ryota woke refreshed on game day and found Shohoku’s players tense as they gathered at the hotel.

• Ryota's mother saw Ryota Kudo and Eri Fujisawa holding hands and excitedly told Shizuka's mother.
• Shizuka watched Ryota and Eri together, then asked the mothers to leave them alone so Ryota could focus on the finals.
• The three women pretended not to notice the couple until Ryota and Eri disappeared into the crowd.
• After parting with Eri, Ryota returned to his hotel feeling warm and fulfilled, and slept peacefully.
• Ryota woke refreshed the next morning, remembering Eri's kiss and encouragement.
• Ryota joined Shohoku's players in the hotel lobby, where Hisashi Mitsui, Hanamichi Sakuragi, Ryota Miyagi, Kiminobu Kogure, Takenori Akagi, and Kaede Rukawa showed signs of tension before the finals.

Before the national final, Ryota Kudo’s teammates discover he may have a girlfriend, and their teasing briefly lifts Shohoku’s tense mood. As praise for his performance against Sannoh spreads through the media, Ryota stays focused on winning the championship.

• Ryota Kudo arrives at the hotel lobby looking cheerful, prompting Hanamichi Sakuragi to accuse him of being in love and having a girlfriend.
• Ryota Kudo’s reply appears to confirm Sakuragi’s suspicion, and Hisashi Mitsui and Ryota Miyagi try to pry out details until Takenori Akagi stops them.
• Takenori Akagi teases that Ryota Kudo’s relationship proves the Shohoku players have appeal beyond basketball, leaving Hisashi Mitsui and Ryota Miyagi lamenting that they are single.
• Shohoku High School boards the bus for the final as sports outlets celebrate the team’s run and hail Ryota Kudo as Japan’s top high school player and a future star.
• Ryota Kudo ignores the media attention and resolves to win the final for Shohoku and his dream.

Shohoku arrived at the national final to face Hakata Shodai Affiliated, whose captain, Tetsuya Takao, challenged Ryota Kudo before tip-off. The teams took the court, and the championship game began.

• Shohoku arrived at the gym to a huge crowd, with the exhausted Hisashi Mitsui and injured Takenori Akagi among the players.
• Shohoku entered the arena and watched Hakata Shodai Affiliated warm up with precise, disciplined teamwork.
• Tetsuya Takao told Ryota Kudo that Hakata would win the championship, and Kudo answered that Shohoku would create another miracle.
• Coach Anzai directed Shohoku's warm-up while Kudo studied Yuki Nishiguchi, Tetsuya Takao, and Shuichi Todo for weaknesses.
• The teams' starting lineups were announced, and Hanamichi Sakuragi prepared to take the opening tip in Takenori Akagi's place.
• The referee tossed the ball, beginning the final between Shohoku and Hakata Shodai Affiliated.

Hakata Commercial’s coordinated defense and rapid passing overwhelmed Shohoku, building a 12-2 lead before Coach Anzai called timeout. Ryota Kudo identified a weakness in Hakata Commercial’s individual defense and prepared to challenge Minami Shoyo one-on-one as play resumed.

• Hanamichi Sakuragi won the tip, but Yuki Nishiguchi’s pressure and Hakata Commercial’s rotations disrupted Shohoku’s first attack, and Shuichi Todo secured the rebound.
• Hakata Commercial moved the ball quickly to Tetsuya Takao, who scored a three? No, he made a two-point shot to give his team a 2-0 lead.
• Hakata Commercial continued to shut down Shohoku’s offense and score through quick passing, extending the lead to 12-2 before Coach Anzai called timeout.
• Ryota Kudo told Coach Anzai that Hakata Commercial’s team defense concealed weaknesses in its players’ individual defense, and he asked to isolate Minami Shoyo.
• After the timeout, Kudo called for the ball as Shohoku inbounded, prompting Shinichi Maki and Nobunaga Kiyota to react to his decision to go one-on-one.

Ryota Kudo erupted for 15 straight points, leading Shohoku past Hakata Commercial and into a 17-16 lead. During the timeout, his teammates celebrated, but Kudo felt the backlash of his intense scoring burst as the final continued.

• Kudo scored an and-one against three defenders, then made a transition three to cut Hakata Commercial’s lead to 12-8.
• Kudo scored 15 consecutive points as Shohoku mounted a 15-4 run and took a 17-16 lead.
• Eri Fujisawa cheered for Kudo, who winked and mouthed reassurance to her; his mother waved excitedly, while Shizuka Kudo watched and set aside her own complicated feelings.
• Hakata Commercial called a timeout as Tetsuya Takao looked grim and Minami Shoyo’s confidence faltered.
• Kudo returned to the bench amid his teammates’ cheers, but felt dizziness and stabbing pain from the backlash of his effort.

Hakata Commercial's coach steadied his team after Ryota Kudo's scoring run, and his players retook the lead with a patient offense. Shohoku immediately launched a fast break, with Sakuragi passing to Miyagi as Kudo sprinted upcourt.

• Hakata Commercial's head coach urged his players to keep doubling Kudo, wear him down, and trust their team offense.
• Coach Anzai warned Shohoku not to rely only on Kudo and told Sakuragi to contribute more on the boards and defense.
• Yuki Nishiguchi directed Hakata Commercial's patient passing attack, and Tetsuya Takao hit a three-pointer at the shot-clock buzzer to put his team ahead 19-17.
• Ryota Kudo anticipated Takao's shot going in and sprinted upcourt to start a fast break.
• Sakuragi grabbed the ball after it went through the net and threw a long pass to Miyagi as Kudo raced ahead.