1986 Regular Season: Jordan's 63 Points vs Celtics
Michael Jordan's 63-point playoff masterpiece against the Celtics in 1986.
The 1986 NBA playoffs featured a record-setting performance by Michael Jordan in the first round against the Boston Celtics.
Quick Facts
- Date
- April 20, 1986
- Location
- Boston Garden
- Opponent
- Boston Celtics
- Points scored
- 63
- Result
- Bulls Lost (Single Overtime)
- Key defender
- Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson
- Season context
- 1985-86 Playoffs
Lore & Background
In Game 2 of the Bulls' first-round series against the Celtics, Michael Jordan scored 63 points in a single-overtime loss, surpassing Elgin Baylor's 61-point performance from the 1962 NBA Finals. This still stands as the NBA playoff scoring record. Jordan averaged 43.7 points per game in the series, but the Bulls were swept by the Celtics. The Bulls had the worst record for a playoff-qualifying team in NBA history at that time, going 30–52 during the season.
Reader's Guide
This entry corrects the earlier mislabeling of the 63-point game as a regular-season event. The game was a playoff game on April 20, 1986, in the first round.
Did You Know?
- Game 2 was ranked by TV Guide as the 26th Most Memorable Moment in Television History.
- The 1986 playoffs marked the third time in four years the Milwaukee Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Finals.
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