Chapter Summaries

Hanamichi Sakuragi broke the Kanagawa tournament rebounding record as Shohoku defeated Tsukubu and advanced to the quarterfinals. After the game, Tomokazu Godai reconciled with Takenori Akagi and urged Shohoku to bring home the national championship for him.

• Tomokazu Godai fouled out after injuring Sakuragi, apologized to him, and encouraged Tsukubu to keep fighting.
• Sakuragi secured his twenty-second rebound, setting a new tournament record as the crowd cheered him as the Rebound King.
• Shohoku beat Tsukubu 142-69, with Sakuragi finishing with 25 rebounds and Shirasawa recording 35 points and 32 assists.
• Kazumi Kawasaki asked Coach Anzai if Shirasawa could transfer to Tsukubu, but Anzai declined and walked away.
• Godai and Akagi put aside their old tension, and Godai asked Akagi and Kogure to win the national championship for him.

Shohoku prepared to face Shoyo in the prefectural quarterfinals as the media anticipated the matchup and Rukawa trained obsessively to catch up to Shirasawa. After Shohoku’s game, Yoko admitted she had been watching Sakuragi play, leaving him delighted the next morning.

• Godai accepted Kawasaki’s praise as Tsukubu’s players departed, while Maki and Fujima argued over Shohoku and Shoyo’s upcoming game.
• Rukawa continued training at Ryonan, driven by his growing desire to defeat Shirasawa.
• Sanae arranged media interviews after Shohoku advanced to the quarterfinals, where Shirasawa declared that Shohoku would beat Shoyo.
• Anzai dismissed the team to rest before training resumed, while Sanae and Ayako invited Shirasawa to work out with them.
• Yoko approached Sakuragi after the game and admitted she had been attending his games; Sakuragi was overjoyed by her attention.
• Sakuragi’s friends teased him the next morning as he happily remembered Yoko’s promise to keep cheering for him.

Kaede Rukawa visited Shohoku to challenge Shirasawa to a one-on-one after seeing a headline calling Shirasawa the strongest high school player in the nation. The chapter ended with the Shohoku team stunned by Rukawa’s unexpected challenge.

• Akagi told Kogure that Shohoku needed to focus and work hard to beat Shoyo, then pushed the players through intense defensive practice.
• Kuwata rushed into the gym and warned everyone that Kaede Rukawa from Ryonan was coming, prompting Miyagi and Mitsui to speculate about his purpose.
• Rukawa arrived at Shohoku, exchanged tense looks with Miyagi, and said he was there to find Shirasawa.
• Shirasawa reflected on his improved abilities and recent success before Kogure called him over to meet Rukawa.
• Rukawa explained through his thoughts that a headline naming Shirasawa the strongest high school player had driven him to come challenge him.
• Rukawa asked Shirasawa to play one-on-one, surprising the Shohoku team.

Kaede Rukawa challenged Shirasawa to a one-on-one game, and Shirasawa took an early lead before Rukawa tied the score. As the game continued, Shirasawa proposed a wager, but Rukawa insisted he would win.

• Takenori Akagi objected to Rukawa's challenge, but Shirasawa accepted the one-on-one game.
• Hisashi Mitsui set the rules, and Rukawa began by attacking Shirasawa before stopping his shot to avoid being blocked.
• Shirasawa copied Rukawa's dribbling move, fooled him with a fake shot, and scored a layup to take a 2-0 lead.
• Rukawa adjusted his attack and scored to tie the game at 2-2.
• Shirasawa praised Rukawa's improvement and offered a wager, but Rukawa said he would definitely win.

Shirasawa decisively defeated Rukawa in a one-on-one, ending the game 13-2 and earning Rukawa’s respect. As Shirasawa saw him out, he hinted that his agent could offer Rukawa interesting arrangements.

• Miyagi failed to hear what Sakuragi wanted him to listen for and teased him about talking too loudly.
• Shirasawa scored repeatedly against Rukawa, then blocked Rukawa’s dunk by pinning the ball against the backboard.
• Shirasawa overwhelmed Rukawa on both ends of the court, and Rukawa’s missed jumper left Shirasawa with match point.
• Shirasawa sank a long-range shot to win 13-2, joking that he had given Rukawa an extra two points as a good host.
• Kogure offered Rukawa water and said Shohoku would keep the game private, while Rukawa accepted the gesture.
• As Shirasawa escorted Rukawa to the gym entrance, he brought up his player agent and suggested Rukawa would be interested in future arrangements.

Kaede Rukawa joined Sanae’s agency after Shirasawa persuaded him, then scored 46 points in Ryonan’s quarterfinal victory. As Shohoku prepared to face Shoyo, its fans rallied against Shoyo’s supporters, while Ryonan and Kainan’s rivalry sharpened ahead of the semifinals.

• Shirasawa convinced Kaede Rukawa to join Sanae’s agency, and Rukawa agreed to sign the next day.
• Takezato advanced to the semifinals, while Ryonan beat its quarterfinal opponent as Sendoh scored 28 points and Rukawa scored 46.
• Yohei Mito and Shohoku’s supporters faced Shoyo’s loud fans until Tetsuo Hotta used a megaphone to lead a Shohoku chant.
• Uozumi told Shinichi Maki he would not let Kainan have its way this year, and Maki dismissed Uozumi’s challenge.
• Nobunaga Aota taunted Rukawa about meeting in the semifinals, and Rukawa called him a nobody.
• Yayoi Aida covered Ryonan and Rukawa, unaware her reporting was helping her rival Sanae, while Rukawa privately resented being Sanae’s second player with an agent.

Shohoku faced Shoyo in the quarterfinals, with Shoyo’s coach and star Kenji Fujima unexpectedly starting on the bench to unsettle the inexperienced team. Shoyo won the opening tip, while Shirasawa expected Fujima to enter within two minutes.

• Takenori Akagi and his Shohoku teammates prepared nervously for Shoyo, while Hanamichi Sakuragi worried that Yoko might have gone to Takezono’s game.
• Yoko arrived to cheer for Sakuragi, and both teams entered the arena to loud support from their fans.
• Coach Anzai told Shohoku to use its mobility, control rebounds, and rely on Shirasawa to direct the team; Mitsui appeared nervous before play began.
• Shoyo surprised the crowd by starting Hanagata, Hasegawa, Nagano, Takano, and Ito while Fujima stayed on the bench to pressure Shohoku.
• Hanagata beat Akagi to the opening tip, and Ito caught the ball in Shoyo’s backcourt.

Shirasawa repeatedly stole the ball from Shoyo’s point guard Ken Ito and scored three dunks, giving Shohoku an early 6–0 lead. Kenji Fujima called the game’s first timeout, encouraged his shaken team, and prepared to take the court himself as Shoyo finally began to regroup.

• Shirasawa stole the ball from Ito and opened the scoring with a tomahawk dunk.
• Shirasawa stole Ito’s high pass and scored again with a windmill dunk.
• Shirasawa joined Miyagi and Mitsui in pressing Shoyo, then ripped the ball from Hasegawa and dunked for Shohoku’s third straight steal and score.
• Kenji Fujima called a timeout after Shoyo’s mistakes left the team reeling.
• Fujima reassured his players, took responsibility for misjudging Shohoku, and said he would enter the game.
• Fujima returned to the court in uniform as the game resumed and Shoyo’s mood improved.

Fujima brought Shoyo back into the game, while Hanagata repeatedly scored over Akagi and gave Shoyo the lead in their center matchup. Shirasawa continued scoring against Shoyo’s defense, leaving Fujima’s plan to isolate him untested as Shohoku tried to rally.

• Fujima beat Shirasawa’s full-court press and helped Shoyo advance, then Hanagata scored a fadeaway over Akagi to end Shoyo’s scoring drought.
• Shirasawa drove past Fujima and scored a high floater despite Shoyo’s help defense.
• Hanagata hit a turnaround fadeaway through Akagi’s foul, converted the free throw, and put Akagi on the back foot.
• Sakuragi taunted Hanagata at the free-throw line, while Ayako and Kogure urged the Shohoku players to trust Akagi.
• Fujima spread Shoyo’s defense to cut off Shirasawa’s passing options, but Shirasawa drove inside and scored another running floater.

Shohoku relied on Shirasawa’s scoring until Akagi regained his confidence, blocked Hanagata, and helped Sakuragi secure a rebound that sparked a fast-break dunk. With the team now trusting one another, Shohoku faced a newly unsettled Fujima as Shirasawa lunged for the ball.

• Nagano scored off Hanagata’s pass after Akagi was fooled into jumping, while Taoka explained Shoyo’s strategy of isolating Shirasawa and conserving energy.
• Shirasawa scored all 22 of Shohoku’s points as Shoyo attacked the paint and Hanagata continued to trouble Akagi.
• Akagi found his resolve, blocked Hanagata’s jumper, and called on Sakuragi to rebound.
• Sakuragi outjumped Takano and Nagano for the rebound, then threw the ball upcourt to Shirasawa, who passed to Miyagi and finished the fast break with a dunk.
• Akagi praised Sakuragi and challenged Shoyo, while Kogure and Coach Anzai recognized that Shohoku had begun playing as a team.
• Fujima grew uneasy as Shirasawa reached 24 points, then Shirasawa lunged for the ball and sent it rolling away.

Shohoku and Shoyo traded key plays as Fujima’s timeout revived Shoyo and he took charge of its offense. The chapter ended with Akagi dunking after Shirasawa’s fast break, as Jin explained how the teams were swapping styles.

• Akagi blocked Nagano’s dunk attempt, and Sakuragi blocked Hanagata’s follow-up shot before Miyagi stole the ball and Shirasawa set up Mitsui’s three-pointer to give Shohoku a 27-18 lead.
• Fujima called a timeout, rallied Shoyo, and launched a three-pointer after using Shoyo’s screens to shake Shirasawa.
• Shirasawa beat Fujima and passed to Sakuragi, who scored a baseline dunk; Fujima answered with a floater over Sakuragi.
• Shirasawa pushed Shohoku’s fast break, passed to Akagi, and Akagi finished with a two-handed dunk.
• Jin told Kiyota that Shohoku and Shoyo were swapping styles.

Shohoku led Shoyo 57-44 at halftime after Shirasawa disrupted Fujima’s final possession and assisted Mitsui’s buzzer-beating three. In the locker rooms, Fujima vowed to lead Shoyo’s comeback, while Shohoku took confidence from its strong first half and Kogure worried about Mitsui’s quiet performance.

• Fujima and Shirasawa led their teams back into their familiar styles, with Fujima scoring and Shirasawa creating assists while attacking Shoyo’s defense.
• With twenty-seven seconds left in the half, Shirasawa stole Fujima’s shot, raced upcourt, and passed behind him to Mitsui.
• Mitsui’s three-point attempt bounced off the rim twice before dropping in at the buzzer, giving Shohoku a 57-44 lead.
• Fujima accepted responsibility for Shoyo’s first-half struggles and urged his teammates to give everything in pursuit of a comeback.
• Shirasawa reassured Kogure that his stamina was fine, while Kogure noticed that Mitsui had contributed little beyond the final shot.

Mitsui struggled with his poor first-half performance and discovered that Hasegawa had been guarding him because of a humiliating middle-school encounter. Shirasawa opened the second half with a spinning layup, but Hasegawa scored over Mitsui and renewed their rivalry.

• Mitsui hid in the lobby, exhausted and frustrated that he had scored only nine points in the first half.
• Mitsui overheard two people discuss how he had humiliated Hasegawa in middle school, then returned to the court before the second half.
• Shoyo used a box-and-one defense to pressure Shirasawa and keep Hasegawa close to Mitsui.
• Shirasawa drove past Shoyo's defenders and scored with a 360-degree spinning layup, extending Shohoku's lead to 59:44.
• Mitsui confronted Hasegawa about their middle-school game, and Hasegawa vowed to hold him to nine points.
• Hasegawa backed Mitsui down and made a one-on-one jump shot.

Mitsui struggled against Hasegawa’s relentless defense and taunts while Shirasawa continued to score against Shoyo’s defense. The chapter ended with Mitsui exhausted and down on the court after a foul, as Coach Anzai insisted that the team wait and trust him.

• Hasegawa hounded Mitsui, knocked him off balance during a corner-ball chase, and was called for an unsportsmanlike foul.
• Kogure asked Coach Anzai to let Mitsui rest, but Anzai said Mitsui needed to overcome the challenge and urged the team to believe in him.
• Hasegawa remembered seeing Mitsui as a delinquent the previous year and explained why his disappointment had turned into resentment.
• Shirasawa beat three Shoyo defenders with a double-clutch layup, drawing cheers from the crowd and uncertainty from Fujima.
• Shirasawa added four points and assisted Akagi’s dunk as Shohoku maintained a thirteen-point lead over Shoyo.
• Mitsui attempted a three-pointer, but Hasegawa blocked him and fouled him; Mitsui stayed facedown on the court while Anzai told the team to wait.

Mitsui rediscovered his confidence and made consecutive three-pointers as Shohoku used Shirasawa and Akagi to create fast-break chances for him. His second shot went in cleanly, leaving Shohoku further ahead of Shoyo.

• Akagi offered to let Mitsui rest, but Mitsui rejected his pity and declared that he was at his best.
• Mitsui made both free throws, then Shirasawa disrupted Fujima's offense and stole the ball from Hasegawa.
• Mitsui caught Shirasawa's long pass and scored a fast-break three-pointer, extending Shohoku's lead to 73–57.
• Hasegawa drove past the exhausted Mitsui, but Sakuragi challenged his shot and Akagi secured the rebound.
• Akagi launched a fast break through Shirasawa, and Mitsui caught the pass and made another three-pointer over Hasegawa's late contest.

Hisashi Mitsui scored 12 points in a few possessions, completing a four-point play before leaving the court to a standing ovation. With seven minutes left and Shohoku ahead 80-59, Kenji Fujima rallied Shoyo for one last fight.

• Fujima scored a floater over Shirasawa, bringing Shoyo's score to 59.
• Mitsui scored a three-pointer while drawing Hasegawa's foul, then made the free throw to complete the four-point play.
• Akagi called a timeout, and Mitsui left the court to cheers as Kogure took his place.
• Mitsui told Hasegawa that he had worked hard for the talent he possessed, then exchanged fist bumps with Coach Anzai.
• With Shohoku leading 80-59 and seven minutes remaining, Kenji Fujima urged Shoyo to keep fighting, and Hanagata called on him to lead them.

Shohoku pulled further ahead of Shoyo after Shirasawa blocked Fujima and Sakuragi dunked despite Hanagata's injured hand. With Hanagata forced to leave the game, Fujima kept fighting alone as Shohoku reached a 29-point lead with 20 seconds remaining.

• Fujima scored a three-point play, then Shirasawa passed to Sakuragi, whose dunk Hanagata blocked at the cost of injuring his right hand.
• Fujima tried to score on a fast break, but Shirasawa blocked him twice in midair and Miyagi set up Sakuragi for a two-handed dunk.
• Fujima called a timeout and checked on Hanagata, who admitted he had done his best before leaving the game with his hand bandaged.
• Fujima attacked on his own while Shirasawa continued scoring, and Shohoku extended its lead to 110-81 with 20 seconds left.

Shohoku defeated Shoyo to reach the final four, ending Fujima and his teammates’ high school careers. After honoring Shoyo, Shohoku hurried to watch Kainan play, since Kainan would be their first opponent in the final-four round robin.

• Fujima took Shoyo’s final attack against Shirasawa, but Shirasawa blocked his fadeaway as time expired and Shohoku won.
• Akagi and Shohoku celebrated their first-ever place in the national tournament’s final four, while Shoyo’s seniors mourned their last high school game.
• Fujima thanked his teammates, joined them in a final cry of “Shoyo,” then exchanged the game ball and a firm handshake with Shirasawa.
• Taoka watched Shoyo’s farewell and decided it was time to call someone back as Shohoku, Ryonan, and Takezato secured final-four places alongside expected qualifier Kainan.
• Shohoku ended interviews early and went to watch Kainan’s game, knowing Kainan would be its first opponent in the round robin.

Kainan defeated Takezono 125-73 to claim the final spot in the final four, while Shohoku watched and resolved to make defeating Kainan their next goal. Akagi gave the team two days off before training resumed, and the Shohoku players went their separate ways.

• Shohoku watched Kainan dominate Takezono, and Shirasawa told Sakuragi that Oda could not compare with him.
• Muto taunted Oda as Kainan's second string widened its lead, while Kiyota asked Takato to let him return to the court and was refused.
• Kainan won 125-73, ending Takezono's season and leaving Oda in tears.
• Akagi led Shohoku out of the arena, and the team decided to prepare to defeat Kainan in the final four.
• Akagi gave Shohoku two days off before training resumed, while Ayako invited Shirasawa shopping and Miyagi took Sakuragi to visit Rena.

Hisashi Mitsui confronted Ichiro Katsumi, who revealed that he wanted Ryokufu to defeat Shohoku, while explaining Ryokufu’s wealthy, mercenary-built basketball team. Ichiro and Mitsuaki Nadaka waited to recruit Kiccho Fukuda, with their promised star player Michael Okita still expected to arrive.

• Hisashi Mitsui recognized Ichiro Katsumi and Mitsuaki Nadaka, confronted them about Ichiro’s claim that he could crush him, and challenged Ichiro to play.
• Ichiro Katsumi said he intended to defeat all of Shohoku, but Mitsuaki Nadaka stopped him from playing because Eri Fujisawa had ordered them to hide their strength.
• Ichiro Katsumi and Mitsuaki Nadaka’s team, Ryokufu, was described as a wealthy new team assembled by Eri Fujisawa through recruiting strong players from weaker schools.
• Eri Fujisawa had failed to recruit Kaede Rukawa after he crashed his bicycle into her van and dismissed her offer.
• Ichiro Katsumi and Mitsuaki Nadaka waited for Michael Okita to return and help recruit a teammate, but Kiccho Fukuda of Ryonan arrived first.