Michael Jordan 63 points vs. The 1986 Boston Celtics

[Lebron23]

Bird on Jordan: He's God disguises as Michael Jordan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB0ZS8HWw5A

I don't see any current NBA players breaking this record. Jordan was on fire.

Active NBA players playoffs career high

Kobe Bryant - 50 points vs. 06 Phoenix Suns
LeBron James 49 points vs. 09 Orlando Magic
Dwayne Wade - 46 points vs. 10 Celtics

[kNicKz]

LeBron James 49 points vs. 09 Orlando Magic
Dwayne Wade - 46 points vs. 10 Celtics

they had to team up :roll: :roll: :roll:

[theBIGjabroni]

cant see any of them beating their career high. maybe another chance for wade against the bucks but doubtful

[ThaRegul8r]

I've often wondered since then if Jordan had hit the potential game-winner and actually won the game, yet thus in the process never scored 63, would the game be as highly regarded. I'm just curious.

[Lebron23]

they had to team up :roll: :roll: :roll:


Last year the Heat beat the Knicks with Melo, Chandler, Amare, and Lin, (4-1)

[Legends66NBA7]

Last year the Heat beat the Knicks with Melo, Chandler, Amare, and Lin, (4-1)

Lin didn't even play. Why even list him ? Amare also missed time.

[Yao Ming's Foot]

Relevant Facts:

Bulls were swept
Game went into double OT

[WayOfWade]

It did take 2OT, but 63 points is 63 points no matter what way you look at it. And doing against the 1986 Celtics? With the GOAT frontcourt of Bird, Parish, and McHale? In the Garden? Crazy performance.
Personally, I'd be stunned if anyone got 50 or more points in the playoffs within at least the next 5 years. KD could do it, but with Westbrook on his team jacking up shots, I find it unlikely.

[ProfessorMurder]

I've often wondered since then if Jordan had hit the potential game-winner and actually won the game, yet thus in the process never scored 63, would the game be as highly regarded. I'm just curious.

I think it would be as highly regarded.

He would've had 55 points in regulation (instead of 54), and beaten the Celtics in Boston (who were 41-1 at home thus far (ended at 50-1 in Boston)).

It wouldn't have the magical double overtime, but they would've won on a buzzer beater with an insane performance against a nearly unbeatable Celtics team.

Add in the fact that he had 49 in regulation in game 1.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Relevant Facts:

Bulls were swept
Game went into double OT
Also:

He did it against arguably the best team of all time.

[andgar923]

Relevant Facts:

Bulls were swept
Game went into double OT

Even more relevant

[9512]

I watched that game in the Jordan Special DVD case. It didn't feel like he scored 63. He did it in the flow of the game and he only reached that amount due to great stamina and the game going to double overtime. He still took a lot of shots which as an MJ fan I would be accustomed to seeing.

Edit: "great stamina" was due to the fact he had been with broken foot so therefore was fresher than his team and opponents.

[HomieWeMajor]

MJ was getting fresh poontang as a brother back in the 80s

[nycjeff45]

i remember that game vividly, went straight to the park afterwards and try all those crazy moves at the park and got yelled the shiet outta me by the older guys in the park when we were running full court. that game was an inspiration...

[LeBird]

The Celtics said that they didn't try to stop him and they let him get his. But because of how well he did they decided to knuckle down on him in the next game. Jordan only got 19 the next game.

[Big#50]

The GOAT.

[Akhenaten]

Overrated game


that bullcrap call on Mchale at the end of regulation was DISGUSTING
This forum would literally shut down, if Wade or Lebron got that call in a playoff game

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

The Celtics said that they didn't try to stop him and they let him get his...

Source? :confusedshrug:

Here's K.C. Jones' take before the series started: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zu6JZXwBt8

[Dragonyeuw]

I watched that game in the Jordan Special DVD case. It didn't feel like he scored 63. He did it in the flow of the game and he only reached that amount due to great stamina and the game going to double overtime. He still took a lot of shots which as an MJ fan I would be accustomed to seeing.

Edit: "great stamina" was due to the fact he had been with broken foot so therefore was fresher than his team and opponents.

Same with the 69 point game, as hard as it is to fathom it didn't feel like he was deliberately going out of his way to score as much as possible.

[clayton]

And then he gets shut down when Celtics actually tried.
Let's count how many times the Bulls went past Bird's Celtics: 0. Jordan was only able to win in a weak era, where all them 80's elites declined to retirement. :roll: Opportunist at best. GOAT my ass.

[LeBird]

Source? :confusedshrug:

Here's K.C. Jones' take before the series started: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zu6JZXwBt8

It was an interview with Dennis Johnson, I'll post it if I can find it. It was after the 63 point game. The Celts generally didn't double-team or make an special arrangement to suppress one player. As I said though, when they did decide to do that they stopped him at 19.

[jzek]

they had to team up :roll: :roll: :roll:

'cos Wade knew his body wasn't going to let him become a top player anymore and so he badly needed LBJ's help.

[ProfessorMurder]

And then he gets shut down when Celtics actually tried.
Let's count how many times the Bulls went past Bird's Celtics: 0. Jordan was only able to win in a weak era, where all them 80's elites declined to retirement. :roll: Opportunist at best. GOAT my ass.

:roll: :roll: Kobe played a decade after the 80s elites retired. What a coward!

[dh144498]

The Celtics said that they didn't try to stop him and they let him get his. But because of how well he did they decided to knuckle down on him in the next game. Jordan only got 19 the next game.

this. lol at only attempts 41 FGA in 52 minutes because of tough defense. :roll:

Jordan stans at their worst.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

It was an interview with Dennis Johnson, I'll post it if I can find it. It was after the 63 point game. The Celts generally didn't double-team or make an special arrangement to suppress one player. As I said though, when they did decide to do that they stopped him at 19.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69vkEcc-zfc

2:26
3:18
3:42
4:05
4:52
5:01
5:31
5:37
6:04
7:07

Are ALL the plays he was doubled.

Can't wait to see that "interview", though. :applause:

[OldSchoolBBall]

Overrated game

Yeah, setting an NBA record against possibly the greatest team in history and an all-defensive first teamer after being back for just ~15 games (playing limited minutes at that) a game after dropping 49 points is "overrated." :roll:

[andgar923]

So let me get this straight.

He drops 49 points the game before this, and they say they're gonna just let him score?

So during the game when he was almost single handedly keeping the Bulls in the game, getting their players in foul trouble, they just said "let him score!" I mean, it aint like the Bulls almost won (double OT), they just said "let him get his!!"

I think DJ is just being facetious or trying to save face.

Anybody that saw that game knows they were trying to stop him.

So he scored less the following game… wow, I've never seen a player be hot one game and struggle the next… nope :roll eyes:

In fact they tried to guard him with different defenders, they tried to give him different looks, double him, trap him, force him to weak side, etc.etc.

[andgar923]

Yeah, setting an NBA record against possibly the greatest team in history and an all-defensive first teamer after being back for just ~15 games (playing limited minutes at that) a game after dropping 49 points is "overrated." :roll:

This is could even be considered part of MJ's 'rookie' season.

[Kurosawa0]

Someday it will be broken, but not by anyone in the league now. LeBron is never going to look to score like that and as good as they are, Melo and Durant have yet to show they really have that kind of level.

Durant could be the best bet to get 64 with how he shoots threes and gets to the line, but it's doubtful playing next to Westbrook.

[andgar923]

Someday it will be broken, but not by anyone in the league now. LeBron is never going to look to score like that and as good as they are, Melo and Durant have yet to show they really have that kind of level.

Durant could be the best bet to get 64 with how he shoots threes and gets to the line, but it's doubtful playing next to Westbrook.

The only one with the skill and mentality is Kobe, but he never got there.

[Kurosawa0]

The only one with the skill and mentality is Kobe, but he never got there.

I'm still surprised he didn't go for it in 06 or 07 against Phoenix.

Still, 64 is really, really difficult anyway. No one since Jordan's 63 has even really got close.

[andgar923]

I'm still surprised he didn't go for it in 06 or 07 against Phoenix.

Still, 64 is really, really difficult anyway. No one since Jordan's 63 has even really got close.

What people should focus on is HOW MJ scored his points. He played within the context of the game for the most part. It hardly seemed forced, he played defense, ran plays, etc.etc. he wasn't out there simply to chuck it up. And that seems to be the case with most of MJ's high scoring games in general (sure give or take perhaps a few).

[Kurosawa0]

What people should focus on is HOW MJ scored his points. He played within the context of the game for the most part. It hardly seemed forced, he played defense, ran plays, etc.etc. he wasn't out there simply to chuck it up. And that seems to be the case with most of MJ's high scoring games in general (sure give or take perhaps a few).

It's why I've always been more impressed with MJ's 69 than Kobe's 81. MJ only took 6 threes in that game. He didn't take hardly any forced shots.

[Poetry]

The Celtics said that they didn't try to stop him and they let him get his. But because of how well he did they decided to knuckle down on him in the next game. Jordan only got 19 the next game.

They were scared of him.

From the Tribune:

``Want to know how great Jordan is?`` Celtics coach K.C. Jones asked.

``Normally, the guys on the bench are leaning forward, trying to make eye contact with me. When they saw what Jordan was doing, nobody wanted in to guard him. I`d look down the bench, and they were all leaning back. So, I leaned back, too. When somebody went in, it took so long for his warmups to come off.``

[LeBird]

So let me get this straight.

He drops 49 points the game before this, and they say they're gonna just let him score?


Yes, he scored 49 and they beat the Bulls by 19.

The Celtics didn't need to crowd him or expend any extra energy on Jordan because he was just an individual dynamo whose teammates were spectators half the time. Such an individual is not going to beat a great team like the Celtics. Credit to him that he almost did it in this match...but 9/10 times it isn't going to do jack-shit.

As aforesaid earlier, that close shave is what caused them to give more of an effort and they shut him down to 19 points and swept the Bulls 3-0.




Are ALL the plays he was doubled.

Can't wait to see that "interview", though. :applause:

Those are soft doubles at best.


They were scared of him.

From the Tribune:
[/I]

No they weren't. 3-0 and 2 of those games were spankings. On this occasion he was awesome, no one denies that. But it doesn't disprove that the Celtics general defensive scheme wasn't geared to solely stop Jordan.

Next you'll bring up the Bird quote. :rolleyes:

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Those are soft doubles at best.

But, you said he was rarely double-teamed (if ever). That they "let" Jordan get his points. :confusedshrug:

I'm still waiting for that "interview".

[LeBird]

But, you said he was rarely double-teamed. If ever. That they "let" Jordan get his points. :confusedshrug:

I'm still waiting for proof.

If you know anything about the sport, when people refer to players being so dominant that they're double and triple-teamed they're not referring to soft doubles or ones you can barely classify as double-teamed. Your examples were pathetic. Going by those examples basically every player is double-teamed.

Chicago was never going to win unless they played team-ball. Jordan jacking up 36 and 41 shots in consecutive games only made his stats look good. Meanwhile his team got sweeped.

EDIT: what's funny is that in the pre-game interview Jordan talks about needing to play 5 man basketball, because one player can't do it all...and look what he goes on and does...LOL

[LeBird]

Nonsense, you've just redefined what people mean when they talk about double-team. Expected, because you've got nothing else. As I said, if we go by your definition then teams were double-teaming Brian Scalabrine too. :lol

People love to pretend as if it was Jordan against the world...they remember that last Space Jam scene as he outstretches to get the winning points. Kids.

No firepower? Well, if you don't pass you don't find out. Fact.

I'll try to find an article/video of that interview...it has been, oh, like 27 years.

[DatAsh]

These kinds of threads should really be about appreciating greatness, not pedaling agendas to appease our personal biases.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

Nonsense, you've just redefined what people mean when they talk about double-team. Expected, because you've got nothing else. As I said, if we go by your definition then teams were double-teaming Brian Scalabrine too. :lol

People love to pretend as if it was Jordan against the world...they remember that last Space Jam scene as he outstretches to get the winning points. Kids.

No firepower? Well, if you don't pass you don't find out. Fact.

I didn't "redefine" anything. Nothing in that video suggests they "let" Jordan get his. Nothing suggests he was "rarely" double-teamed. You're just wrong. As you always are. Admit it.

[LeBird]

I didn't "redefine" anything. Nothing in that video suggests they "let" Jordan get his. Nothing suggest he was "rarely" double-teamed. You're just wrong. As you always are. Admit it.

As I said, the Celtics weren't concerned with shutting down Jordan - and that meant hard double-teams (or triple teams) - until the 3rd match. You got your panties in a knot and came up with joke examples to counter.

You're mad your hero isn't as great as you think he is... sue me.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

As I said, the Celtics weren't concerned with shutting down Jordan - and that meant hard double-teams (or triple teams) - until the 3rd match. You got your panties in a knot and came up with joke examples to counter.

Prove it or shut up. It's that simple.


You're mad your hero isn't as great as you think he is... sue me.

My hero? Seriously? OK, "LeBird" :roll:

[andgar923]

Yes, he scored 49 and they beat the Bulls by 19.

The Celtics didn't need to crowd him or expend any extra energy on Jordan because he was just an individual dynamo whose teammates were spectators half the time. Such an individual is not going to beat a great team like the Celtics. Credit to him that he almost did it in this match...but 9/10 times it isn't going to do jack-shit.

As aforesaid earlier, that close shave is what caused them to give more of an effort and they shut him down to 19 points and swept the Bulls 3-0.



Those are soft doubles at best.



No they weren't. 3-0 and 2 of those games were spankings. On this occasion he was awesome, no one denies that. But it doesn't disprove that the Celtics general defensive scheme wasn't geared to solely stop Jordan.

Next you'll bring up the Bird quote. :rolleyes:

You're full of shit.


"He was hitting outside shots, driving to the hole. We had about everyone on the team guarding him," recalled Celtics legend Larry Bird. "He obviously was in a zone. He kept them in the game with big basket after big basket. We couldn't stop him. We tried to shade him to help, everything. You were talking about a different type of talent."



"Boston threw everyone and everything at him. They loaded up their defense to stop him and he scored on every double and triple team he saw."




"Dennis was a prideful defensive player," recalled Jerry Sichting, who would come off the bench and make what would be the winning shot in the second overtime. "He's in the shower after that Game 1 when Michael has 49. He's got the stat sheet stuck to the wall and he's staring at it. He's all soaped up and he says, 'The good news is we beat them. Michael is never going to have another game like that again.'



"We were throwing a little bit of everything at him," said Vincent. "Kevin with his long arms, Danny with his tenacious ways, Dennis and his great defensive ability and he's chewing up everyone standing in front of him. It was a different consciousness you don't get to often."


The Bulls raised their lead back into double digits from a first half high of 11 as Johnson now began face guarding Jordan and playing him face up without even watching where the ball was when Jordan didn't have it. The Celtics big guys continued to shade toward Jordan, but the Bulls still held a 91-88 lead going into the fourth quarter. Jordan went into the fourth quarter with 36 points.


"I remember in the huddle people saying to try to push him one way to the side help," recalled Vincent. "Larry was running over there to help where we were trying to shade him. But he was splitting everything and going around and shooting over."

Those are some quotes for you. And I can't find the ones in which Bird, McHale and others vowed to not let MJ score that many after the 49 pt again. These Celtics were a PROUD team, Bird was a PROUD competitive player that would not get outplayed..

[LeBird]

Don't forget the one about Bird calling him 'God'. Just look at the video... triple teams? Give me a break.

You give a quote based on hearsay when I am talking about the player himself saying basically the opposite. Maybe Dennis was too proud and lied to the camera?

I doubt it. Most of the instances of multiple players going at him are help defense. Domination and desperation is when you have multiple players around you before you even have the ball. Not when you iso up and then drive.

They were trying to sell the sport and Jordan was the main brand. Get a grip.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

"He was hitting outside shots, driving to the hole. We had about everyone on the team guarding him," recalled Celtics legend Larry Bird. "He obviously was in a zone. He kept them in the game with big basket after big basket. We couldn't stop him. We tried to shade him to help, everything. You were talking about a different type of talent."



"Boston threw everyone and everything at him. They loaded up their defense to stop him and he scored on every double and triple team he saw."




"Dennis was a prideful defensive player," recalled Jerry Sichting, who would come off the bench and make what would be the winning shot in the second overtime. "He's in the shower after that Game 1 when Michael has 49. He's got the stat sheet stuck to the wall and he's staring at it. He's all soaped up and he says, 'The good news is we beat them. Michael is never going to have another game like that again.'




"We were throwing a little bit of everything at him," said Vincent. "Kevin with his long arms, Danny with his tenacious ways, Dennis and his great defensive ability and he's chewing up everyone standing in front of him. It was a different consciousness you don't get to often."



The Bulls raised their lead back into double digits from a first half high of 11 as Johnson now began face guarding Jordan and playing him face up without even watching where the ball was when Jordan didn't have it. The Celtics big guys continued to shade toward Jordan, but the Bulls still held a 91-88 lead going into the fourth quarter. Jordan went into the fourth quarter with 36 points.



"I remember in the huddle people saying to try to push him one way to the side help," recalled Vincent. "Larry was running over there to help where we were trying to shade him. But he was splitting everything and going around and shooting over."

Those are some quotes for you. And I can't find the ones in which Bird, McHale and others vowed to not let MJ score that many after the 49 pt again. These Celtics were a PROUD team, Bird was a PROUD competitive player that would not get outplayed..

Ouch! Time to move on, "LeBird". :oldlol:

[DatAsh]

You're full of shit.
















Those are some quotes for you. And I can't find the ones in which Bird, McHale and others vowed to not let MJ score that many after the 49 pt again. These Celtics were a PROUD team, Bird was a PROUD competitive player that would not get outplayed..

That should really put an end to that theory, unfortunately most people are too stubborn to admit when they're wrong.

Far too often do I see these (what should be)appreciation threads completely hijacked by other player fans trying to add "context". Just leave it be. You're just making yourself look more biased and insecure.

[LeBird]

Ouch! Time to move on, "LeBird". :oldlol:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lg4x90qZuA1qgkqyco1_400.gif

:lol


That should really put an end to that theory, unfortunately most people are too stubborn to admit when their wrong.

Far too often do I see these (what should be)appreciation thread completely hijacked by other player fans trying to add "context". Just leave it be. You're just making yourself look more biased and insecure.

It isn't for anyone that was around at the time. And even then, its no excuse. The tapes are online.

All kidding aside, I think Jordan is a great player...but this one game is hyped into meteoritic bullshit.

[diamenz]

And then he gets shut down when Celtics actually tried.
Let's count how many times the Bulls went past Bird's Celtics: 0. Jordan was only able to win in a weak era, where all them 80's elites declined to retirement. :roll: Opportunist at best. GOAT my ass.

early nineties weak? i can understand the later nineties, but that's just nonsense. besides that, jordan destroyed teams solo in the eighties - u were just semen at the time.

[DatAsh]

It isn't for anyone that was around at the time.



I was 31 years old in 1986.


All kidding aside, I think Jordan is a great player...but this one game is hyped into meteoritic bullshit.

Everyone has their biases, but save the debate for the debate threads. Disparaging players in threads such as these doesn't convince anyone, and just makes you seem insecure.

[LeBird]

You're right, of course. :hammerhead: