Recaps

Kawamoto invited Sakuragi to train with him, and the two met Takamiya and Haruko on their way to the court. After Haruko promised to cheer for Sakuragi at Shohoku’s next game, Kawamoto and Takamiya confronted him about his crush and his fifty failed confessions, leaving Sakuragi to explain why he was afraid to confess to Haruko.

• Kawamoto invited Sakuragi to train with him one-on-one and arranged to visit the next morning.
• On the way to the seaside court, Sakuragi and Kawamoto ran into Takamiya, who was out sampling breakfast.
• Haruko met them while jogging, praised Kawamoto and Sakuragi, and promised to cheer for Sakuragi when Shohoku played Shoyo.
• Kawamoto asked whether Sakuragi secretly liked Haruko, and Takamiya confirmed that he did.
• Takamiya revealed that Sakuragi had suffered fifty failed confessions in middle school, and Kawamoto asked why he still could not confess to Haruko.

Kawamoto Kazuki encouraged Sakuragi to channel his feelings for Haruko into improving his basketball, then trained him in off-ball movement. After practice, Kawamoto invited Sakuragi and Nozomi Takamiya to his home for lunch, where Mom Kazuko welcomed them and enjoyed the lively meal.

• Sakuragi told Kawamoto that Haruko felt different from the girls he had confessed to before and that rejection from her would devastate him.
• Kawamoto urged Sakuragi to perform well in the game against Shoyo and offered to create chances for him to show his abilities.
• Kawamoto trained Sakuragi in off-ball movement with Takamiya passing, and Sakuragi gradually learned to find space and shoot while moving.
• Kawamoto ended the training and invited Sakuragi and Takamiya to his home for Mom Kazuko's chanko hot pot.
• Sakuragi and Takamiya enthusiastically ate and bickered over the food, while Mom Kazuko felt glad to see her home lively and her son smiling.

Kawamoto Kazuko remembered how she lost her husband, struggled to raise Kazuki while battling heart disease, and asked Dr. Kitakura to hide her condition from her son. After hearing Kazuki say he would give up basketball for her, she told him her health had improved and she could stop taking her expensive medicine.

• Kazuko recalled how she married Kawamoto Shinsaku against her father's wishes and built a happy life with him and their son, Kazuki.
• After Shinsaku died in a project accident and the company blamed him, Kazuko's father rejected her when she returned to the Suzuki home for help.
• Kazuko raised Kazuki alone in Hiratsuka, took on exhausting odd jobs, and was diagnosed with left main coronary artery disease.
• Dr. Kitakura told Kazuko that Professor Minamino had performed successful bypass operations, but her surgery remained risky and unaffordable.
• Kazuko pleaded with Dr. Kitakura to tell Kazuki she had recovered if he asked about her condition, and he reluctantly agreed.
• After Kazuki said he would give up basketball for her, Kazuko told him her condition had stabilized and she could gradually stop taking her medicine.

After training with Kawamoto and Takamiya, Sakuragi looked forward to facing Tsukubu, while Akagi and Kogure encountered Tsukubu captain Tomokazu Godai, who boasted about a promising newcomer. Later, Sakuragi saw Haruko practicing and flew into a rage when a reckless rider impressed her with a dangerous dunk.

• Sakuragi and Takamiya helped Mom Kazuko clean up after dinner, then trained with Kawamoto until dusk; Kawamoto said he would take the next day off to spend time with Mom.
• On the train, Tomokazu Godai tried to rattle Akagi and Kogure before their game, boasting that Tsukubu had a powerful first-year newcomer named Nango.
• Akagi and Kogure stayed composed after Godai left, and Kogure said Shohoku would play at its own pace.
• Sakuragi and his friends spotted Haruko practicing at a street court, but she missed her shot when a speeding motorcycle startled her.
• The rider leaped off the moving motorcycle and dunked Haruko's rebounding ball, then called her cute as she hurried away.
• Sakuragi shouted angrily at the rider and climbed over the court's high wire fence to confront him.

Hanamichi Sakuragi clashed with Tsukubu’s Koichiro Nango, who challenged Shohoku and wagered that Haruko would be his if Tsukubu won. Meanwhile, reporter Sanae Nakagawa assessed the upcoming game and favored Tsukubu’s teamwork over Shohoku’s individual talent.

• Sakuragi headbutted Nango after the blond delinquent nearly hit Haruko, and the two traded headbutts over their rivalry for her.
• Sakuragi claimed he and Haruko were a perfect match, then Nango learned his identity and challenged Shohoku, wagering that Haruko would be his if Tsukubu won.
• Sakuragi rejected the wager but vowed to defeat Nango and lead Shohoku to victory as Nango rode away.
• Sanae Nakagawa interviewed Tsukubu coach Kazumi Kawasaki and argued that Shohoku’s weak coordination made Tsukubu the stronger contender.
• Kawasaki said Tsukubu was prepared for the game, while Sanae concluded that she still favored Tsukubu despite her concern about Kaede Rukawa’s scoring ability.

Shohoku prepared to face Tsukubu as Coach Anzai chose a lineup featuring Kawamoto Kazuki and told him to crush the opposition without a fixed position. The chapter ended with Koichiro Nango discovering that Hanamichi Sakuragi was not among Shohoku's starters.

• Shoyo, Kainan, and Ryonan observers assessed Shohoku and Tsukubu, with Sendoh warning that Shohoku's perimeter shooting could overwhelm Tsukubu.
• Coach Anzai acknowledged Tsukubu coach Kazumi Kawasaki and selected Akagi, Rukawa, Miyagi, Mitsui, and Kawamoto as Shohoku's starters.
• Coach Anzai gave Kawamoto freedom to play any position and urged him to defeat Tsukubu quickly, intending to reveal his ability to future opponents.
• Sakuragi accepted being benched so he could save his special training for the Shoyo game and asked Kawamoto to challenge Nango over Haruko.
• Kawasaki instructed Tsukubu to use teamwork, screens, and combined zone and man-to-man defense against Shohoku.
• As the teams approached the center circle, Nango realized Sakuragi was not starting and wondered what had become of their rivalry over Haruko.

Kawamoto Kazuki directed Shohoku’s opening strategy and dominated the opening minutes against Tsukubu, helping his team take a 6-0 lead. Tsukubu’s captain urged his teammates to keep moving the ball and wear Kawamoto down.

• Kawamoto Kazuki gave his teammates detailed instructions, assigning Akagi to protect the basket and directing Rukawa, Miyagi, and Mitsui to create steals and open shots.
• Kawamoto outjumped Koichiro Nango at the opening tip and swatted the ball to Ryota Miyagi.
• Miyagi passed to Kaede Rukawa, who drew help defense and found Hisashi Mitsui for a three-pointer.
• Kawamoto pressured Hiroshi Natsume, then stole the ball from Yoshikazu Tamura and sent Mitsui ahead for another three-pointer, making the score 6-0.
• Tomokazu Godai told Tsukubu to move the ball around the perimeter and keep running to wear Kawamoto down.

Shohoku overwhelmed Tsukubu with Kawamoto Kazuki’s perimeter defense and Hisashi Mitsui’s three-point shooting, while Koichiro Nango briefly created chances with his passing. After falling behind 34-15, Tomokazu Godai concluded that Kawamoto was a weak offensive threat and ordered Tsukubu to focus on tiring out Mitsui while leaving Kawamoto open.

• Tsukubu tried to exhaust Kawamoto with rapid passing and constant movement, but Shohoku’s number 15 shut down their perimeter attack while Akagi, Rukawa, and Miyagi stifled their interior offense.
• Mitsui scored repeatedly from three-point range as Shohoku built a 22-7 lead, despite his growing fatigue.
• Nango used clever passes to set up Kenta Mine and Yoshikazu Tamura, exposing how Rukawa and Miyagi’s unnecessary help defense left openings.
• Mitsui hit his eighth three-pointer as Shohoku extended its lead to 28-11, while Fujima, Hanagata, Maki, Hikoichi, and Sendoh assessed the teams’ players and tactics.
• Mitsui sank his tenth three-pointer to make the score 34-15, and Godai told Tsukubu to guard Mitsui closely while allowing Kawamoto to shoot.

Sanae Nakagawa and Tsukubu mistook Kawamoto Kazuki’s lack of shots for offensive weakness, while Tomokazu Godai adjusted Tsukubu’s defense to leave him open and focus on Hisashi Mitsui. The chapter ended with Kawamoto taking his first shot from beyond the three-point line.

• Sanae Nakagawa watched Kawamoto Kazuki shut down Tsukubu’s perimeter offense and reconsidered her pregame support for Tsukubu.
• Tomokazu Godai gathered his teammates and adjusted their defense to leave Kawamoto open while increasing pressure on Hisashi Mitsui.
• Sanae concluded that Kawamoto was a defensive specialist with little offensive ability and praised Godai’s tactical decision.
• Kenji Fujima admired Tsukubu’s adjustment, while Akira Sendoh predicted the game was over.
• Kawamoto rose at the three-point arc and released his first shot of the game.

Kawamoto Kazuki overwhelmed Tsukubu with three consecutive three-pointers, then charged into a double-team after Mitsui ran out of strength. His shoe split during a sudden change of direction, sending his out-of-control body crashing toward Natsume.

• Kawamoto Kazuki made three consecutive three-pointers, widening Shohoku's lead to 43:17 and shocking Tsukubu and the watching rivals.
• Tomokazu Godai scored a lucky three-pointer, then ordered Hiroshi Natsume and himself to trap Kawamoto near half court.
• Kawamoto saw that Mitsui was exhausted and took the ball upcourt himself as Natsume and Godai formed a double-team.
• Kawamoto charged at Natsume, but his shoe split as he planted his foot for a crossover, and his momentum carried him toward Natsume.

Kawamoto Kazuki’s shoe broke during a powerful collision that sent Natsume and Godai flying, and Coach Anzai replaced it with a costly pair of basketball shoes. Shinichi Maki mistook the special delivery for proof that Kawamoto came from a wealthy family and followed him to recruit him for Kainan.

• Kawamoto Kazuki’s ruined sneaker left Natsume and Tomokazu Godai injured, while possession went to Tsukubu and Kogure returned to the court.
• Coach Anzai arranged for a Nagato Sports employee to deliver a new pair of Air Jordan VII Cardinal shoes, which Kawamoto accepted and put on.
• Shinichi Maki saw the delivery and concluded that Kawamoto belonged to an extremely wealthy family with influential ties to Nagato Sports.
• Maki decided Kawamoto was Kainan’s top recruitment target and followed him toward the players’ tunnel to approach him.

Shinichi Maki tried to recruit Kawamoto Kazuki to Kainan, but his pitch about wealth, luxury, and girls offended Kawamoto, who rejected him and reflected on his family's poverty. Kawamoto returned to the court resolved to change his family's circumstances through basketball and by seeking opportunities beyond it.

• Shinichi Maki introduced himself to Kawamoto Kazuki and invited him to join Kainan.
• Maki described Kainan's elite resources and social life, then praised its girls and suggested buying them luxury gifts.
• Kawamoto called the pitch boring, rejected Maki's offer, and walked toward the players' tunnel.
• Maki misread Kawamoto's rejection as proof that he came from a wealthy world beyond Maki's understanding.
• Kawamoto recalled his financial struggles and resolved to study the economy and find a way to improve life for himself and his mother.

At halftime, Coach Kazumi Kawasaki rallied Tsukubu around Koichiro Nango, who accepted responsibility for carrying the team’s hopes against Shohoku. In the second half, his teammates sacrificed themselves to create chances, and Nango answered with a dazzling scoring run against Akagi and Rukawa.

• Shohoku led Tsukubu 52:34 at halftime, and Coach Kazumi Kawasaki praised Tsukubu’s effort before admitting how daunting the gap to Shohoku seemed.
• Coach Kazumi Kawasaki told Koichiro Nango that Tsukubu would handle the defensive work and create chances for him to score.
• Tomokazu Godai, Hiroshi Natsume, Yoshikazu Tamura, and Kenta Mine pledged to support Nango, and Nango vowed to lead Tsukubu as its super rookie.
• Kawamoto replaced Hisashi Mitsui as the second half began, while Tsukubu committed to an all-out effort to set up Nango.
• Nango scored repeatedly against Takenori Akagi and Kaede Rukawa with turnarounds, jumpers, drives, a foul shot, and a difficult floater.

Shohoku defeated Tsukubu 92-64, but Koichiro Nango’s explosive scoring and Tsukubu’s relentless effort won the crowd’s admiration. After the game, Fujima and Maki considered recruiting Nango to strengthen their teams.

• Koichiro Nango unleashed his offensive skills against Akagi, and Akagi learned that Nango had only begun training properly that spring.
• Toru Hanagata praised Nango’s all-around play and urged Kenji Fujima to try recruiting him for Shoyo; Fujima agreed to approach him.
• Shinichi Maki decided that Koichiro Nango could solve Kainan’s future frontcourt needs and planned to recruit him.
• Shohoku beat Tsukubu 92-64 as the final whistle ended the game.
• The spectators applauded Tsukubu’s players for continuing to fight and support Nango despite the overwhelming defeat.

After Shohoku defeated Tsukubu, the crowd honored Tsukubu’s players, and Tomokazu Godai asked Akagi to welcome Koichiro Nango to Shohoku. Coach Kawasaki then asked Coach Anzai whether he would truly mentor Nango, and Anzai’s answer began with the name “Yazawa.”

• The crowd praised Tsukubu’s players for their courage, and the exhausted team accepted the applause through tears.
• Tomokazu Godai proposed that Koichiro Nango transfer to Shohoku, and Akagi agreed to care for him if the move worked out.
• Kawamoto Kazuki, Ryota Miyagi, and Kaede Rukawa exchanged handshakes and words with their Tsukubu opponents.
• Koichiro Nango and Hanamichi Sakuragi traded insults and nearly started a fight, amusing both teams.
• Kazumi Kawasaki told Coach Anzai he would arrange Nango’s move if Anzai was willing to mentor him, and Anzai quietly replied, “Ah, Yazawa...”

Fujima explained to Hanagata that Kainan’s championship dynasty rested on inherited pressure and a relentless drive to win, while Maki prepared for the Shohoku challenge. Coach Anzai then confessed his guilt over pushing Yazawa too hard and began assessing Shohoku’s players, pausing when he reached Mitsui.

• Hanagata and Fujima discussed Tsukubu’s resilience and declared that Shoyo would face Shohoku with confidence in its teamwork.
• Maki told Fujima and Hanagata that he had expected Shoyo to meet Kainan in the final and urged them to do their best.
• Fujima explained that Maki studied every team because Kainan’s long championship streak placed a heavy responsibility on its captain.
• Coach Anzai admitted that he had driven Yazawa too hard, failed to understand his struggles, and still regretted Yazawa’s death.
• Coach Anzai assessed Akagi, Miyagi, and Rukawa, then faltered as he began to speak about Mitsui.

Coach Anzai confessed his guilt over failing Mitsui after his injury and asked Kawasaki to bring Nango to Shohoku so he could guide him, Sakuragi, and Kawamoto. Kawasaki agreed, and Anzai resolved to pursue his basketball dream again.

• Coach Anzai told Kawasaki that he had watched Mitsui suffer after his injury but had been too afraid to reach out, and said he owed Mitsui an apology and two years of guidance.
• Anzai recalled Mitsui returning to kneel and ask to play basketball, and admitted he had felt ashamed to receive Mitsui's plea.
• Anzai said Mitsui's return and Kawamoto's arrival had awakened his heart and renewed his hope for Japanese basketball.
• Anzai asked Kawasaki to bring Nango to Shohoku and vowed to train Nango, Sakuragi, and Kawamoto into true basketball players.
• Kawasaki agreed to entrust Nango and their dreams to Anzai.

After Shohoku's victory, Sakuragi's friends reflected on how basketball was taking him away from them, while Tsukubu's veteran players told Nango they planned to retire. Nango learned Coach Kawasaki had arranged for him to transfer to Shohoku and, thrilled at the thought of seeing Haruko, tried to leave immediately, only to be held back.

• Sakuragi bragged to Takamiya, Okusu, Mito, and Noma about Shohoku's win and urged them to cheer at Saturday's game against Shoyo.
• Mito, Noma, Okusu, and Takamiya grew solemn when Noma noted that Saturday was June 4.
• Godai, Natsume, Tamura, and Mine told Nango they planned to stop playing after the summer, and Godai explained they had accepted their limits after losing to Shohoku.
• Kawasaki told Nango he had spoken with Shohoku coach Mitsuyoshi Anzai and believed Nango should transfer there to develop his talent.
• Nango became ecstatic when he learned Haruko attended Shohoku and demanded to transfer immediately.
• Godai, Kawasaki, and the Tsukubu players restrained Nango and told him the school was closed and the transfer paperwork could not be ready until at least the next day.

Kawamoto learned from Boss Kobayashi how changing customer habits shaped the seafood market. Meanwhile, Koichiro Nango raced a stranger through the rain, revealed he had transferred to Shohoku for love, and rode off toward his new school as the stranger reconsidered his own prospects for romance.

• Boss Kobayashi explained to Kawamoto that customers wanted convenience and quality, while high-end seafood sellers relied on established connections.
• Koichiro Nango collected his new Suzuki GSX-R750 and rode toward Shohoku to look for an apartment before transferring.
• A Kawasaki Z2 rider challenged Nango to a dangerous race through the rainy streets and overtook him on a sharp bend.
• At a red light, Nango told the rider he had transferred to Shohoku for love, and the rider teased him while promoting Kawasaki.
• Nango rode off into the rain, and the other rider decided that transferring schools to find a girlfriend was a promising idea.

Coach Anzai discussed funding Shohoku’s training and nutrition needs with Michiko, who encouraged his renewed passion for basketball. At the convenience store, Kawamoto served a tired customer who missed out on discounted sashimi, and a boy in a Shohoku uniform arrived.

• Coach Anzai told Michiko he wanted to buy professional training equipment and hire a sports nutritionist for Shohoku.
• Michiko revealed that Anzai Fried Chicken was thriving and assured him the expenses would be affordable.
• Michiko told Coach Anzai she was glad to see his passion for basketball return, and she encouraged him to support the players’ dreams.
• Kawamoto explained to a customer that the sashimi had sold out, and she bought instant ramen and ham sausages instead.
• A boy wearing a Shohoku uniform entered the convenience store.

Kenji Fujima briefed Shoyo’s players on Shohoku’s Kawamoto Kazuki after watching him play against Tsukubu, warning that he was stronger than Shinichi Maki by a considerable margin. The team began preparing to focus its tactics on Kawamoto ahead of their next game.

• At the convenience store, Chuichiro Noma tried to buy cigarettes from Kawamoto Kazuki, but Kawamoto refused to sell tobacco to a minor.
• During Shoyo’s team meeting, Hasegawa asked Kenji Fujima about Kawamoto, and Fujima admitted he should have made the team watch Shohoku’s game against Tsukubu.
• Fujima declared that Kawamoto was stronger than Shinichi Maki, probably by quite a margin, and made him Shoyo’s primary focus for preparation.
• Fujima described Kawamoto’s height, strong build, quick defense, accurate steals, three-point shooting, and seemingly exceptional stamina.
• Fujima recounted how Kawamoto’s shoes tore as he drove through a double-team, yet his momentum sent Hiroshi Natsume and Tomokazu Godai tumbling into a wall.

Fujima warned Shoyo’s players about Kawamoto Kazuki’s frightening strength ahead of their game against Shohoku. Meanwhile, Koichiro Nango arrived at Shohoku and confessed his feelings to Haruko Akagi with a bouquet of roses.

• Fujima told Shoyo’s players that Kawamoto Kazuki had sent two Tsukubu players flying, and Toru Hanagata confirmed the story.
• Fujima reminded his teammates that Shohoku also had Akagi, Kaede Rukawa, Hisashi Mitsui, and Ryota Miyagi.
• Coach Mitsuyoshi Anzai offered to fund new basketball equipment and hire a nutritionist, and principal Takeo Tanaka enthusiastically supported his plans.
• Koichiro Nango entered the principal’s office with roses, clarified that they were for neither Takeo Tanaka nor Coach Anzai, and hurried away with his student ID.
• Nango found Haruko Akagi outside her classroom, knelt before her, and asked her to go out with him as nearby students watched.

Hanamichi Sakuragi interrupted Koichiro Nango’s love confession to Haruko, but her obvious admiration for Kaede Rukawa made Nango suspect Sakuragi was not really her boyfriend. Nango then showed up at Shohoku’s gym in a number 15 jersey and provoked Takenori Akagi by insulting his sister.

• Hanamichi Sakuragi kicked Koichiro Nango away from Haruko and tore apart the roses Nango had brought her.
• Nango declared his love for Haruko, and Sakuragi covered his mouth to hide his claim that he and Haruko were a couple.
• Haruko blushed and watched Kaede Rukawa pass, prompting Nango to question Sakuragi’s relationship with her.
• After class began, Nango decided he had found another rival in love and later arrived at Shohoku’s gym wearing a number 15 jersey.
• Takenori Akagi confronted Nango over the jersey and his attention toward Haruko, but Nango insisted Akagi’s sister was not his type and insulted her prospects.

Kawamoto Kazuki learned from Nozomi Takamiya that Chuichiro Noma planned a dangerous act of revenge for his father's death. He rejected Noma's plan as foolish and arranged to hear him out, leaving the three of them walking together as Kawamoto began to explain his view.

• Kawamoto asked Takenori Akagi about his missing uniform, and Akagi admitted he had lent it to Koichiro Nango.
• During practice, Nango provoked Sakuragi about Haruko, and Akagi had to break up their fight.
• Kawamoto encountered Chuichiro Noma and Nozomi Takamiya in the rain, and Takamiya followed him to ask for help with Noma's revenge plan.
• Kawamoto told Takamiya that Noma's approach would ruin his life and instructed him to bring Noma to the restaurant after an hour.
• After finishing work, Kawamoto met Noma and Takamiya and said he could speak objectively as an outsider; Noma objected that Takamiya had revealed their business.

Kawamoto persuaded Noma to follow him by offering a chance to pursue revenge without throwing his life away. At the prefectural gymnasium, Shohoku and Shoyo faced off for the final top-four spot as their supporters traded taunts and Sakuragi and Nango fought over the Shoyo cheering squad leader.

• Kawamoto told Noma that he needed reliable help for his plans and urged him to seek a greater reckoning than a reckless attack; Noma followed him, with Takamiya hurrying after them.
• Murasame and former Miuradai teammates arrived at the gymnasium and sat behind Shohoku, though Murasame claimed they had come to watch Shoyo beat Shohoku and find business ideas.
• Haruko Akagi, her friends, the Sakuragi Gang, and the Rukawa Kaede Fan Club gathered to support Shohoku.
• A Shoyo cheering squad led by a crew-cut boy taunted Shohoku and chanted for victory and a place at nationals.
• Sakuragi vowed to make the Shoyo leader kneel and praise him, while Nango proposed hiring the boy to lead Shohoku cheers and proclaim his love for Haruko.
• Sakuragi and Nango grappled on the sideline as the crew-cut boy mocked Shohoku's infighting and Shoyo's fans roared in response.