Episode 63: Kuroko is first placed into Teiko's third string basketball team. However, after practicing everyday after school with Aomine, Akashi realised Kuroko talent as the "Phantom 6th Man." During a game between the third and second string, Kuroko proved himself and was upgraded to first string. But when he plays in a friendly game as starting player, he is so nervous he is subbed out immediately. The coaches are unsure if they should keep him on first string, but with Aomine's encouragement, they keep him on for one day. Now that Kuroko's nerves are under control, his help in the team is obvious and he is permanently placed on the first string bench.
Episode 64: Nijimura gives the captain position to Akashi because his father is sick. Akashi now becomes captain. The Teiko coach comes back. Midorima and Murasakibara gets into a fight, and Kuroko challenges them into a practice game. Then, Aomine and Kise get into a fight, but not a serious one. Akashi wants to get rid of Haizaki because he keeps skipping practices. Aomine plays a game, but he doesn't have fun and loses interest in basketball because he crushed the other team. Teiko goes to the National qualifiers, and Aomine meets his friend, while the face of Kuroko's friend is also revealed. Aomine ends up crushing his friend's team, and gets called a monster by his friend. Also, Kuroko's friend loses, and calls Kuroko, crying. The episode ends with Aomine sitting by the pool, a blank expression on his face.
Episode 65: The head coach advises Aomine to keep playing basketball until he can find a worthy opponent. Teiko wins the National finals. One day, the head coach collapses, and the assistant coach is forced to take over the program. The individual members of the team begin to undergo rapid growth in strength and ability. Aomine leaves in the middle of practice one day, and the coach reluctantly gives him permission to skip practices so long as he shows up to games, leaving Aomine in even more despair, conflicted over the lack of strong competition and his passion for basketball. After Murasakibara demands to also be allowed to skip practices, openly defying Akashi, the latter decides to challenge him one-on-one. The other members of the Generation of Miracles are shocked as Murasakibara seemingly overwhelms Akashi, but just as Akashi is about to lose, he switches personalities and crushes Murasakibara. Akashi, now in his alternate persona, gives the rest of the team permission to skip practice so long as they win matches. He later tells Kuroko (who failed to convince Aomine to return to practice) that there are actually two of him.
Episode 66: Kuroko gets knocked unconscious in the game before the grand final, in which Teiko is set to play against Kuroko's friend, Shige's team. Kuroko regains consciousness, and since he cannot play in the game, asks Akashi to make Teiko play their best. Teiko, bored by scoring quotas, decide to play a new game. Kuroko gets to the match in time to see the conclusion of the game, with Murasakibara scoring the final goal for the opposite team in order to make the score read "111, 11". Devastated, Kuroko decides to quit basketball and visits Shige's school, where he finds out Shige has transferred and is going to quit basketball. Shige's friend tells him not to quit basketball, because he thinks Kuroko can melt the Generation of Miracles' hearts.
Episode 67: Seirin prepare mentally for the grand final match of the Winter Cup. Kagami and Tatsuya finally properly reconcile. The teams from previous matches, including the teams of the Generation of Miracles come to watch the grand final. During the decider for 3rd place, Kise sits out of the match and Shutoku wins against Kaijo, 96 to 54, taking 3rd place. Rakuzan and Seirin warm up, and Akashi declares the winner will be Rakuzan. Furihata gives Kuroko a wristband filled with the team's thoughts. The game starts with Kagami taking the tip off. Kuroko fumbles a pass but Kagami manages to score the first goal with an impossible jump. And enters "the zone".
Episode 68: Kagami dangerously continues using up his stamina in the zone, Riko swaps Kuroko for Mitobe so that Kagami can focus on offence. Akashi pairs up against Kagami and Akashi takes control of the game until Mitobe's defense breaks the flow. Kagami exits the zone, and Kuroko re-enters the game. Kuroko is more visible than usual, which Akashi claims is due to his learning how to dribble and shoot. Disheartened, Kuroko is taken out of the match for one side pass, then put back in for the remainder of the first quarter. The first quarter is finished with a tie, 21-21. Kuroko is set to sit out the 2nd quarter to think of a solution. Meanwhile Rakuzan's Chihiro Mayuzumi reveals his ability to misdirect just like Kuroko, but with better base attributes.
Episode 69: Kuroko observes Mayuzumi's play from the sidelines. Seirin subs in first-year Furihata to lure Rakuzan, but he quickly gets fatigued after facing Akashi. Fukuda, a first-year, takes his place. Hyuga goes up against Rakuzan's Reo Mibuchi (who Hyuga admired in middle school) in a "Battle of the shooting guards", but loses. The same happens to Kiyoshi against Eikichi Nebuya. Another first-year takes Fukuda's place. One-by-one, Rakuzan crushes Seirin's players. Akashi demonstrates that he can also make alley-oops, finishing the second quarter with Rakuzan in the lead, 62-37.
Episode 70: The third quarter starts with Kuroko remaining on the sidelines; the rest of the team persisting despite the setbacks of the previous quarter and the rest of the generation of miracles believing they will lose. The team entrusts their hopes with Hyuga and Kagami. Reo goads Hyuga into making his third and fourth fouls, forcing him to be benched. With Seirin's hearts broken, Kuroko re-enters the game, declaring he wants to win. Kuroko goes up against Mayuzumi, and allows him to make some shoots in order for Kuroko to regain his lack of presence. Kagami re-enters the zone. Instead of subbing Mayuzumi out, Akashi uses him as a tool of misdirection.
Episode 71: Izuki manages to interfere with Rakuzan's Kitari Hayama's five-finger-dribble offense, by predicting future moves and coordinating with Kuroko and Kagami. Kagami remains in the zone. Koganei faces Reo, and although Koganei doesn't manage to defeat him, Hyuga comes to understand how to beat Reo's three specialty shots (Heaven, Earth, Void).
Episode 72: Hyuga rejoins the match in fourth quarter and scores the first three, flourishing under the pressure and having worked out how to tell the difference between Mibuchi Reo's three shots, and the secret of "Void". Despite Kiyoshi's knee injury bothering him, he pushes back against his opponent Eikichi Nebuya. Akashi relieves control of the ball against Kagami who is going even deeper in the zone. However, Akashi has learnt how to enter the zone at will, reserving it for when Rakuzan is in trouble. His trigger being when he decides to abandon the rest of the team and use his own strength to win. Akashi enters the zone and scores on his own. Seirin calls a timeout with Rakuzan in the lead, 90-78. Seirin puts their faith in Kagami. In the audience, Aomine mentions that he suspects there is a greater zone within the zone. And that Kagami may need to open this second "door" to be able to beat Akashi.
Episode 73: Faced by Akashi's huge zone of defence, Kagami despairs, having reached the bottom of the zone, but seeing no way to open the "door". Kuroko suggests they give up relying solely on Kagami for now, and offers to take some of the burden. By watching and predicting Kagami's movement, Kuroko becomes Kagami's "eye" and is able to intercept Akashi. Although stunned, Akashi catches up and attempts to stop Kagami, but is intercepted again by Kuroko. One last time, Akashi attempts to intercept Kagami's dunk, but Kagami, with his teammates supporting him, manages to crack open the "door" within the zone and scores. Akashi misses a goal, and has fallen out of the Zone. A voice inside Akashi starts telling him to give-up. Rakuzan calls a time out with 5 minutes left in the game, and the score 92-90. Just as Rakuzan's coach is about to sub Akashi out, Mayuzumi chastises Akashi, asking rhetorically "Who are you?", which triggers an internal dialogue with his other self. Akashi strove for victory in order to keep his team together and in his weakness he created his other self. But then he started playing for victory itself, forgetting why. Now, his two selves appear to merge, or perhaps switch places, and, echoing his words to Kuroko in middle school, aloud he declares himself "Akashi Seijuro".
Episode 74: Akashi starts supporting the team by setting up perfect opportunities which also boosts their morale. The watching members of the Generation of Miracles recognise Akashi's old self. Seirin still manage to score, but Akashi enters the zone again and Akashi's support draws out his team members' potentials, making them enter an imperfect version of the zone, possible because they are members of the "Uncrowned Kings". Kagami is the only one who can stand against them, but reaches his physical limits, and exits the zone. The rest of Seirin are also exhausted and Seirin has no more time outs left. Suddenly, Kuroko's friend, Ogiwara, cheers from the audience, bringing Kuroko to tears. Aomine, Kise, Midorima and other past opponents adds their cheers, and the crowd starts to chant for Seirin. With the Rakuzan in the lead, 103-96 and 2 minutes left in the game, Kagami talks with the team, and manages to fully open the "door within the zone", unveiling the "True Zone", which is team play at the speed of the zone (possible because of the bond between the team members). Aomine realises that the person in front of the "door" is not a gatekeeper, but Kuroko, leading the way to team play. Seirin manage to score a two-pointer, but Akashi counters with a two pointer, and is not going to allow Seirin to win that easily.
Episode 75: With 40 seconds left in the game, Rakuzan is in the lead, 105-98. Kagami scores with 27 seconds left. With 17 seconds left, Izuki is the only one not fired up, deliberately trying to keep calm and use his head to catch Rakuzan off-guard. He predicts that Rakuzan will take a shot and steals the ball, making a perfect pass to Hyuga. Hyuga forces a foul as he scores a three and is allowed a free throw. Hyuga's shot rebounds and Kiyoshi uses his last strength to take it. With three seconds left the ball is passed to Kuroko, who goes to shoot. Akashi defends but Kuroko states "I am the shadow", and Kagami does one of his impossible jumps to dunk and Seirin win, 105-106, winning the Winter Cup. Akashi experiences his first ever loss, but is thankful to Kuroko and congratulates him with tears in his eyes. Some days later, Seirin see Kiyoshi off at the airport, as he is going overseas to get a surgery for his knee. Meanwhile 3rd years from Seirin's opponent teams are studying for college, while their teams appoint new captains and prepare for the next season of Basketball. Seirin return to school to practice but Kuroko is late. Kagami is sent to find him, and Kuroko explains that he was getting a photo from Momoi. As Kuroko and Kagami head back to practice, Kuroko's locker opens to reveal the photo- a team photo of the Generation of Miracles reunited.
Rating: 9/10(Average)
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