Ranking Michael Jordan's 5 best games in NBA Playoffs
Michael Jordan is recognized by many as the greatest NBA player in the history of the league. Obviously, for many to reach that conclusion, lots of big performances in the NBA Playoffs had to be seen, and Michael Jordan certainly proved that he performed at his best on the biggest stages.
Jordan led the Phil Jackson-coached Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles, winning three straight from 1991 and 1993, and repeated that feat again winning three straight from 1996 to 1998. Of course, Scottie Pippen was Michael Jordan's sidekick in all those championships (relax, Mr. Pippen)
Michael Jordan won six NBA Finals MVPs in six appearances in the league's biggest stage, and many defined his argument for the NBA GOAT debate around those six awards and the huge moments he had in the NBA Playoffs.
Michael Jordan's Top 5 games in the NBA Playoffs
Jordan is the all-time leader in terms of career points per game in the NBA regular season (30.1) and in the Playoffs (33.4). MJ was also the first player to average over 30 ppg in playoffs in league history. In the NBA Finals, he is also the leader amongst players with at least 20 games, with 33.6 points per game.
In terms of a single NBA Finals, Michael Jordan also holds the record for highest average of points per game in league history, with 41 in the 1993 NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns.
He also holds the record for most points scored in an NBA Playoffs game.
In this article, we will give you Michael Jordan's Top 5 performances in the NBA Playoffs. Taking into account the round, records set, playoff achievements and other determining factors when ordering these rankings.
Without further ado, let's take a look.
#5 1992 NBA Finals | Game 1
After winning his first NBA title in 1991, Michael Jordan returned to the NBA Finals in 1992, and the Portland Trail Blazers and Clyde Drexler were in the way of the Chicago Bulls and back-to-back titles.
Drexler, who had also led the Blazers to the 1990 NBA Finals, was one of the best shooting guards in the NBA at the time alongside Jordan. 'His Airness' wanted to make a big statement against Portland and "Clyde the Glide".
In Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals, Michael Jordan put up 35 points in the first half (NBA Finals record) and made six of his 10 attempts from the three-point line (a record in the NBA Finals at the time).
The game is also famous for Michael Jordan's shoulder shrug after making one of his three-pointers in the first half. He finished the game with 39 points, 11 assists and made 16 of his 27 shots. Eventually the Bulls won the series in six games and Jordan was named Finals MVP.
#4 1986 NBA Playoffs - First Round | Game 2
The 1985-86 Boston Celtics are definitely one of the greatest teams in NBA history, as they went 40-1 at home during the regular season and went on to win the title against the "Twin-Tower" Houston Rockets in the 1986 NBA Finals.
A young sophomore, Michael Jordan pushed those Celtics in the first round of the postseason, but the under-500 Bulls could not pull off a single win in the series.
Jordan scored 49 points on the road in Game 1, but the Bulls fell by 19 points. In Game 2, Michael Jordan put up an NBA Playoffs record for most points in a single game, with a whopping 63 points in a double-OT game.
He made 22 of his 41 field goals and 19 of 21 free throws. However, the Celtics pulled off a 135-131 win on the road to a sweep of the series. Jordan also had six assists, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks in the loss.
The 63-point effort broke the previous record in the NBA postseason, posted by Elgin Baylor in Game 5 of the 1962 NBA Finals with 61 points.