Thanks to a basket from Rukawa, Shohoku has finally taken the lead in a critical time. Sakuragi, wanting to feel important, jumped up at the same time as two opposing Shoyo players as he was going for the dunk. It seems like Sakuragi's long desire to perform a slam dunk will be fulfilled.

The last ten seconds of the game are approaching, and Shohoku is only down by four. The one who'll decide this match will be Sakuragi.

The battle between the combo team and Shohoku has reached its climax, and the one deciding its conclusion is Sakuragi with a Slam Dunk. Though Shohoku has more important things to look forward to, such as the Inter High Tournament.

Due to Fukuda's terrible defense and Sakuragi's equally atrocious offense, Taoka thought it'd be a harmless idea to match Fukuda up with him. However, it seems that the entire gym was in for a surprise as Sakuragi showed off his jumper.

Ryonan's offense was concentrated around Fukuda, who has been constantly defeating Sakuragi. He was forced to sit out, sulking to himself of being beaten fair and square. While Sakuragi was defeated, Shohoku wasn't, as Mitsui's three pointers pulled his team back within range of Ryonan.

Mitsui collapsed due to exhaustion, and while his lost presence was dire for Shohoku, they remained formidable behind Sakuragi's strong play.

Kogure's 3 pointer put Shohoku up, but Sendoh wouldn't let his team get defeated so easily.

Shohoku isn't about to let their chances slip away against Kainan, however, things quickly changed when Akagi injured his ankle, forcing Sakuragi to take over his spot as center.

Shohoku and Kainan refuse to give up on each other with the match going back and forth like a see saw.

Shohoku's representatives rush to Anzai's aid, and are surprised at how efficiently Sakuragi acquired a doctor. Meanwhile, Kainan was too strong for Ryonan and Sendoh to handle. They'll have to do better now that they're up against Shohoku.

Sendoh and Rukawa continue to push against each other in the second half, but the highlight of it so far is Uozumi being forced to sit out with four fouls.

Fujima starts passing more and shooting less 3 pointers, giving hims teammates more open looks and easy opportunities to score. But is it enough to overcome Shohoku?

Rukawa's strong performance made it seem like Shohoku has a chance of winning, but what got everyone's attention was when Akagi came back from the locker room.

Anzai formulated a plan to destroy Kainan's formidable backcourt combo of Jin and Maki by playing zone defense, and their offense started crumbling. Sakuragi, when shooting from the free throw line, decided to shoot it differently by throwing up a granny shot.

One of the more exciting matches in the tournament is about to start, as it's Ryonan vs. Shohoku. Though people have already been speculating Shohoku's chances of a victory, as their coach is absent, resting himself in the hospital.

It seems that things are back to normal psychologically for Shohoku as Sakuragi wasn't as raged as expected by his friends, and Akagi finally solved some internal problems. The true match is about to start.

Uozumi has to sit out due to his fouls, which causes Akagi to dominate the paint and score easy baskets.

Coach Taoka exploited Shohoku's foul trouble problem, and made good use of it. Shohoku will continue to be in the hot seat if this continues.

Sendoh's strong offensive play continues to push Ryonan closer to Shohoku, and their defensive stops aren't allowing Shohoku to score any points.

Kogure spotted up for a 3 pointer. During the ball's journey there to the net, Kogure gets flashbackes of the basketball trials he faced to get to the position he's currently at.

Anzai decides to incorporate Sakuragi into the Shohoku offense, making him go through rigorous shooting training.

Sakuragi has been working hard for the past months to improve his basketball skills, but as a result, his shoes have torn. He visits none other than the man that gave him his first shoes.

Although Shohoku has lost the game, Sakuragi played very well for his first game. Sakuragi and Rukawa vowed that in their next game with Ryonan, they will beat Sendoh.

While Mitsui has increased his efficiency during the game, Sakuragi still faces the brink of being dismissed. After a few destructive words from Rukawa, Sakuragi is fueled with fire.

Shohoku has defeated Shoyo, and Sakuragi is quick to spread the word, especially after his ferocious slam dunk on Hanagata. It seems like Oda, a person that went to the same junior high as him, is going to be facing Kainan. They're also hoping to pull off an upset victory like Shohoku has.