Slam Dunk Theater: Episode 23

Episode 23

On the train to Hiroshima, a terrible shock is uncovered on the train when Akagi looks at a book guide to what the group matches are. Shohoku is in the same group as last year's champions Sannoh High, not just last year but they were champions two (2) years before. If in any case Shohoku beat Sannoh then they still have to face Aiwa High who are ranked 4th in the nation. Trouble arises as Kishimoto from Toyotama hears them talking, the insult is that Shohoku didn't think of Toyotama as any competition, just some third rate team. In the book guide, Toyotama is rated A class, whilse Shohoku is rated C class. Hanamichi ends up sparking off Kishimoto by tripping him up, but the conductor and Toyotama's coach stop the disturbance. Arriving at Hiroshima, Shohoku meet up with Kainan High. Maki and Nobunaga pity Shohoku for being in a such group, Sannoh and Aiwa together. However Shohoku said that they will have to overcome Sannoh sooner or later, plus they vow not to be defeated by Kainan again. Toyotama High arrive and they talk of Kainan in trouble letting a team such as Shohoku cause them so much grief. Shohoku end up challenging Toyotama High to a fight, but Akagi stops them. Maki warns Rukawa about Toyotama's Number 4 Tsuyoshi Minami. Late at night Akagi gets restless from the tension of tomorrows match and goes for a run (and he gets lost). In the morning just as Shohoku set off, Hikoichi rings to fax Toyotama's details to them. Hikoichi really wants Shohoku to defeat Toyotama (unforgivably insulting Sendoh). The match begins and the crowd are rowdy, particularly disliking Hanamichi. Ryota wants to show Toyotama's Daijirou Itakura who's better (Itakura insulted Ryota about him being short). This causes Ryota to be fancy about by passing Itakura, a pass to Rukawa gets intercepted by Minami. In the first minute, Toyotama are leading 9 to 0. (Minori Kishimoto scores the first 2 points followed by Mitsuaki Iwata scoring 2 points, Itakura shoots 2 points, whilse Minami shoots in 3 points). The problem for Shohoku is that Toyotama is a school which specializes in fast attacks, in all of their matches but one, they have won with scores in excess of 100. Not only that they defeated Shoyo in the last year's national championship. Kishimoto insults Hanamichi about him not doing anything. Hanamichi gets angry and asks Ryota to pass, without a thought he shows off his 20,000 jump shot training result. However since Hanamichi isn't concentrating and is very angry the shot goes wide and lands in the hands of Nobunaga in the spectator area. Hanamichi ends up being subbed off in place of Yasuo. Yasuo's presence is to calm the Shohoku team down and not to give in to Toyotama's insults. Shohoku slowed down their game play and decide to gain back the points slowly. After 10 minutes of the match Shohoku catch up to being just 1 point behind 14 to 15. It turns out that Iwata, marking Akagi, is no match against him and also Rukawa is successfully scoring points. Minami decide it is time to act, and when he gets the ball Rukawa is already marking him. Lifting the ball high, Rukawa follows lifting his guard, Minami comes down hard with his elbow on the side of Rukawa's head. Hanamichi and Akagi get really angry at him doing dirty tricks (seems like intentional foul) on Rukawa. Rukawa is taken off because he has suffered from a shock to the brain. Toyotama decide to concentrate on Akagi when he gets the ball. Soon four player guard Akagi and (using cheap dishonorable actions) foul him in order to stop him scoring. Ryota is stopped by forcefully knocking him out of the court into chairs. The game has become very violent since Rukawa's incident. In the Shohoku rest room at halftime, all the players are really angry at Toyotama's bullish way of playing, when Rukawa comes back (a black eye means he can only see with one eye). Rukawa rallies the team to win the game, even if he has to play with just one eye.


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