Episode 26: The first years participate in a street basketball tournament, with Kiyoshi subbing in for Kawahara. They run into Seiho and learn that only the top eight teams from the Inter-High can participate in the Winter Cup heats. Seiho loses to a team with a member from Yosen, Himuro Tatsuya, whom Kagami knows from America. Tatsuya introduced Kagami to basketball, and they became close friends to the point of calling each other brothers and wearing matching rings. However their rivalry led to a misunderstanding between them, and Tatsuya bet his ring on their next game. Meanwhile, Riko tells the 2nd years the results of the Inter High: First Rakuzan, Second Touou, Third Yosen. With the members of the Generation of Miracles benched during semi-finals and finals. As the tip-off begins between Tatsuya's team and Seirin, Murasakibara Atsushi, another member of the Generation of Miracles, from Yosen High, shows up.
Episode 27: Murasakibara mentions he didn't play in the finals because Akashi Seijuro, the former captain of the generation of miracles, told him not to. Kagami baits Murasakibara into joining the street ball match. Tatsuya asks Murasakibara to play defence while he handles offence, but the game is soon called off due to heavy rain. Kuroko explains that Murasakibara does not like basketball but plays to win and is good at it. Meanwhile, Momoi shows up at Seirin, where the second years are practicing. The first years and Kiyoshi return to Seirin, where Momoi explains that Aomine didn't play in the Interhigh finals due to injuries sustained during the Kaijo-Touou game. She also explains why Akashi and Murasakibara did not play. Later, Kuroko shows Momoi his new technique, an "unstoppable drive".
Episode 28: The Winter Cup preliminaries begin with Seirin versing Josei High. A member of Josei recognises Kiyoshi as "The Iron Heart", one of 5 players who would have been considered prodigies of their time if not for the Generation of Miracles. Kagami is suppressed by a double team defense, but Kiyoshi's "Right of postponement" and rebounds have improved Seirin's offense and defense and Seirin takes control of the whole match. Using his pent up energy, Kagami breaks past his defenders and scores the final goal with an impressive jump that cracks open the "door" to such prodigies as the Generation of Miracles. Seirin win, 108-61.
Episode 29: Three other teams advance to the championship league along with Seirin; Shutoku High, Senshinkan High and Kirisaki Dai Ichi High. Seirin's first opponent is Senshinkan who are known as the "King of the West". Seirin easily win, 78-61. Meanwhile, Kirisaki Dai Ichi have thrown their match against Shutoku so that their first-string players can watch the Seirin game. Shutoku win 123-51. Kiyoshi greets a member of Kirisaki Dai Ichi: Makoto Hanamiya, who is an "Uncrowned King" like Kiyoshi and known as a dishonest player. Seirin's next match is against Shutoku. Riko predicts there is a limit to the number of super-long three-pointers Midorima can shoot, however, Midorima has undergone endurance training and plans to outlast Kagami's jumps.
Episode 30: Seirin keeps a lead against Shutoku to the second quarter, 23-16. But Kagami grows ever more tired, and Takao's hawk eye is a formidable weapon against Kuroko's Misdirection. Midorima starts faking and passing meaning that Kagami exherts more energy per shot that Midorima takes. Kiyoshi and Kagami double team against Midorima, leaving the inside wide open. Kuroko is subbed out for Mitobe. The game proceeds with Seirin's fast run-and-gun gameplay but the second quarter ends with Seirin barely in the lead, 45-43. Shutoku pull ahead in the third quarter, 68-76, with 1 minute to go. And Kagami's legs are at their limit. Kuroko asks to be subbed back in, ready to use his new drive.
Episode 31: Kuroko re-enters the game and takes on Midorima, easily passing him with his Vanishing Drive, and Seirin catch up to Shutoku with the third quarter ending in a tie. In fourth quarter, Midorima states that he passed his limits long ago, and Seirin and Shutoku exchange goals. With less than 30 seconds left, Otsubo's shot puts Shutoku up 104-103. With his legs already at their limits, Kiyoshi attempts a dunk, but is disrupted by Midorima, who earns a foul. With two seconds left, Kiyoshi makes the first free throw, bringing the scores to a tie. He misses the second shot, and Kagami catches the rebound. Kagami goes for a final dunk which Midorima attempts to block. The buzzer sounds.
Episode 32: Startled by the buzzer, Kagami and Midorima fumble the ball which misses the hoop. The tournament regulations prohibit overtime, so the match ends in a tie. Meanwhile Kirisaki Daiichi wins against Senshinkan, 108-70. Hyuga has realised that Kiyoshi is still injured and asks him to sit out the Kirisaki Daiichi match. Kiyoshi is determined to play even if it wrecks his knees. Kagami overhears and later asks Hyuga about it. Last summer, Kiyoshi created the basketball team. However, Hyuga was jaded from his losses in middle school and claimed he had quit basketball. Izuki, Koga and Mitobi joined the team and they sought out Riko Aida to be their manager. But Riko refused, saying she hated that everyone who played in the same league as the Teiko team had given up on winning, and they would need to convince her that they're serious. Kiyoshi challenged Hyuga to a one-on-one which Hyuga lost.
Episode 33: The next morning, the newly-formed basketball team shout from the rooftops before morning assembly that they will participate in the national tournament to become the best team in japan. Hyuga shows up and adds that if they don't he'll confess his feelings buck naked. Riko is impressed and agrees to coach them. Although Kiyoshi was the founder, he trusts Hyuga to be captain. Seirin get to the finals of the preliminaries and face Kirisaki Dai Ichi. With less than 4 minutes left in the game, Kiyoshi's leg starts acting up. Hanamiya Makoto enters the game, and as punishment for Seirin's imminent win, he maneuvers his team to injure Kiyoshi while making it look like an accident. Seirin win 84-83. and the team visit Kiyoshi in hospital. He lies and claims it is just a sprain, but Hyuga confronts him later and Kiyoshi admits that with rehabilitation and surgery his knee will heal by the time he finishes high-school. Even if he skips the surgery it will still be a year before he returns, and he will keep accumulating damage as he plays basketball and will only be able to play for a year at most. Hyuga vows that they will become the best team in Japan next year. Without Kiyoshi, Seirin were eliminated from the championship league by the three kings.
Episode 34: The match between Seirin and Kirisaki Daiichi begins. Having heard Kiyoshi's story, the first years are determined to support their seniors. Kuroko uses his vanashing drive early in the game and Kiyoshi scores the first goal. Kirisaki Dai Ichi get away with rough and dirty moves in the referee's blind spots. Kuroko prevents Kagami from punching one of the players in anger. Hanamiya taunts Kiyoshi, and later seeing the injuries of his team mates, Kiyoshi decides to take the brunt of the rough play by handling the offence and defence of the inside of the court. He tells Riko that if she subs him out now, he'll hate her for the rest of his life. Hyuga is determined to take some of the pressure off Kiyoshi by scoring from the outside, but keeps missing. Kagami also attempts to score but gets a foul. Kiyoshi pep talks the team, and they calm down a bit. Hanamiya again taunts Kiyoshi who doesn't react. This angers Hanamiya, who signals his team to injure Kiyoshi and Kiyoshi gets an elbow to the face, but manages to get up again, saying that he has vowed to protect Seirin.
Episode 35: Second quarter ends with Seirin in the lead, 45-40. Kuroko asks Hanamiya why he plays in such an underhanded way and Hanamiya responds that he enjoys seeing the pain and frustration of hardworking players. Aomine confronts Hanamiya in the bathroom and says he's going to lose the game because he's angered Kuroko. A member of Kirisaki Dai Ichi believes the secret of Kuroko's vanashing drive is blinking, intentionally blinks out of time at the start of the third quarter, however Kuroko still passes him and Kagami scores. Soon after this, Kuroko is subbed out to conserve his energy and Hanamiya subs in Kentaro Seto. Izuki's eagle eye is thwarted by Hanamiya and Seto, and Seirin make no further goals, the third quarter ending with Kirisaki Dai Ichi leading, 47-58. Kuroko suggests they can break ahead if Kuroko stops playing with the team. Fourth quarter begins and Kuroko intercepts his own team's passes before Hanamiya can. With Kirisaki Dai Ichi still in the lead, 54-60, and less than 6 minutes left in the game, Riko sees Kiyoshi get further injured and calls a time out, subbing Kiyoshi out of the game. The rest of the team are determined to win for Kiyoshi.
Episode 36: Hyuga continues to miss his shots, until the ball goes out of court and Kiyoshi retrieves it. Hyuga remembers his promise to Kiyoshi to become the best in Japan, and realises they have never hi-fived. Hyuga calms down and shoots a three, Izuki also calms down and scores. Hanamiya attempts to elbow Kuroko, who dodges. Hanamiya shows that dirty tactics is not all he can do by passing Kuroko, and scoring with a "teardrop" shot. With 45 seconds left, Kirisaki Dai Ichi is barely in the lead, 69-70. Kuroko uses his ignite pass to Kagami who scores with a dunk. Seirin maintain control of the ball, and Hyuga scores the final three before the buzzer sounds. Seirin win, 76-70, qualifying for the Winter Cup. Hyuga gives Kiyoshi a hi-five. Hanamiya vows vengeance, but Kiyoshi is unfazed. Meanwhile Shutoku wins against Senshinkan, 112-81, also qualifying for the Winter Cup. This means that all members of the Generation of Miracles will be participating.
Episode 37: After winning against Kirisaki Daiichi and confirming their spot in the Winter Cup, the Seirin team head to a hot spring to regenerate their energy. They are surprised when the Touou Academy team joins them at the resort. The Touou team explains that they have defeated Josei High, who Seirin had also played in the Winter Cup preliminaries, by a score of 170-39. Also, Touou revealed that they will be Seirin's opponent in the first round of the Winter Cup. Kagami goes missing next morning, but Riko is not worried. Seirin's training camp starts immediately and without Kagami. Riko's father, Kagetora, promises to develop the team's individual skills and get themselves prepared for the Winter Cup. Meanwhile, it is shown that Kagami is returning to America for his training. With less than a month to Winter Cup, will Seirin get themselves on level with their first opponent of Winter Cup, Touou Academy?
Episode 38: Kagetora claims that the second years of Seirin can improve their individual skills in less than a month, but when asked about Kuroko, he doesn't know what to teach him. Kagetora even said that Kuroko might face a wall. Kagami did not appear in the opening of the Winter Cup, as apparently he had forgotten about the time difference between California and Japan. Kuroko was summoned by Akashi Seijuro, the captain of the Generation of Miracles. Kagami interrupts a seemingly normal conversation of the Generation of Miracles and meets Akashi for the first time. Things took a sinister turn when Akashi borrows a pair of scissors from Midorima and almost stabs Kagami in the cheek. The Seirin-Touou matchup commences with an intense competition for the first point. Will Kuroko's improved Ignite Pass set the pace for this exciting rematch?
Rating: 9/10 (Average)
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