Michael Jordan’s five best playoff campaigns in terms of points per game
Michael Jordan joined the Chicago Bulls in 1984 and has been a high-volume scorer right from the start. He even bagged Rookie of the Year honors in his first NBA season, averaging 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.
Michael Jordan’s professional career did not take time to catch flight, but his Chicago Bulls team were not title contenders instantly. They lacked depth on most occasions while during others, they fell short against their sworn rivals, the Detroit Pistons.
Things changed in the early 90s and Michael Jordan started making a trip to the NBA Finals every other year. Let’s take a look at the five best playoff campaigns of his career (first round exits excluded).
#5 1991-92 – 34.5
Coming off a championship season, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls experienced a sweet taste of victory. In the 1991-92 season, they were more determined than ever.
Michael Jordan won the regular season Most Valuable Player, averaging 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 80 played games. The Chicago Bulls took the first seed with an impressive 67-15 record.
Michael Jordan scored 759 points during the 1992 playoffs, the most in a single postseason in NBA history.
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In the first round, Michael Jordan was in no mood to waste any time. The Chicago Bulls swept the Miami Heat 3-0, with Jordan scoring 56 points in Game 3. The New York Knicks in the next round managed to force Game 7, but Michael Jordan came up with a 42-point performance to end the series.
The Bulls beat the Cavaliers in six games to reach the 1992 NBA Finals. They took on the Portland Trail Blazers and claimed the NBA Championship in six games. Jordan’s best performance was in Game 1 of the series where he scored 6 out of 10 from the deep and tallied 39 points. His scoring average of 34.5 in the 1992 NBA playoffs is his fifth best.
#4 1988-89 – 34.8
In the 1988-89 season, Michael Jordan averaged 34.8 points, 7 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 2.5 steals in the playoffs. After a 47-35 win-loss record during the regular season, the Chicago Bulls were placed sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. Michael Jordan’s contribution was not just in scoring as he had seven games with double digit assists throughout the 1989 NBA Playoffs.
On this day in 1989, Michael Jordan hit “The Shot” on Craig Ehlo.
First of many playoff winners.
“All you f--kers go to hell.”
(via @NBATV)
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In the first round, the Chicago Bulls beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 3-2, playing well defensively as well. Michael Jordan recorded his only triple-double of the 1989 playoffs in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.
After six games and a series record of 4-2, Michael Jordan and the Bulls met the Detroit Pistons in the conference finals. After starting strong and holding a 2-1 lead, the Chicago Bulls lost three games in a row to hand the series to the Pistons.