Revisited: "That was God disguised as Michael Jordan" - Larry Bird recalls MJ's legendary 63-point performance at The Garden in 1986
On this day in 1986, Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird hailed Michael Jordan's record-breaking performance against the Celtics in a postseason game.
Jordan, 23, set the record for most points in a postseason game on Apr. 20, 1986. He exploded for 63 points against the Celtics at The Boston Garden in Game 2 of their first round matchup, which remains an NBA postseason record till this day.
Celtics legend Bird had nothing but praise for the young Jordan after the game. Bird, who had 36 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists to lead Boston to a 135-131 win over the Chicago Bulls that night, was in awe after the game. He said:
"I think he's God disguised as Michael Jordan. He is the most awesome player in the NBA. Today in Boston Garden, on national TV, in the playoffs, he put on one of the greatest shows of all time. I couldn't believe anybody could do that against the Boston Celtics."
“That wasn’t Michael Jordan out there. That was God disguised as Michael Jordan.” - Larry Bird
36 years ago today, a 2nd-year MJ did this in a Playoff loss to the Boston Celtics: 63 PTS (22/41 FG, 0/0 3PT), 6 AST, 5 REB, 3 STL, 2 BLK https://t.co/YsuglQW0Ci
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Jordan ended the game with 63 points, five rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks. Jordan went 22-for-41 from the field and 19-for-21 from the free throw line. He did not attempt a single three-point shot during the game.
"His Airness" went 12-for-22 in pull-up jumpers and 8-for-14 in drives to the basket, while he was 2-of-5 on other shots. Of his 41 field goal attempts, only three went uncontested. He was defended by five different future Hall of Famers during the game and scored in all of them.
On this day in 1986... Michael Jordan went off for an NBA Playoffs-record 63 points! #NBA75 https://t.co/KNW8hwe6cn
Jordan and the Bulls were lucky to qualify for the playoffs that year. They had a terrible 30-52 record, with Jordan only playing 18 games due to injury. The Bulls were up against the number one seeded Celtics, who went 67-15 during the regular season.
The Celtics went on to sweep the Bulls in three games, but Jordan became a superstar after that series. He went on to win his first scoring title the next season and his first NBA MVP award two years later. Jordan's first championship came in 1991 against the LA Lakers.
What did Michael Jordan say after scoring 63 points against Boston Celtics?
When Michael Jordan scored 63 points against the Boston Celtics in 1986, he broke Elgin Baylor's postseason record of 61 points. The record remains to this day, with Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz the most recent player to come close by scoring 57 points in 2020.
What did Jordan say after setting the record for most points in a playoff game in NBA history? Jordan was unhappy because the Bulls lost the game in overtime, and he never really cared about breaking the scoring record. He said:
"50 points, 49 points, 63 points, I just want to win again. The points don't mean anything to me. With the way we played, we can't be down. This was the best game we played all year."
“That wasn’t Michael Jordan out there. That was God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
34 years ago today, a 2nd-year Michael Jordan scored 63 PTS in a Playoff loss to the Boston Celtics.
63 PTS (22-41 FG, 0-0 3PT)
6 AST, 5 REB, 3 STL, 2 BLK https://t.co/cHSDdelBt9