By Joel Reyes

 

Basketball Hall of Famer, sports icon and NBA legend Michael Jordan turned 63 years old last Tuesday. That number holds special significance for His Airness as that was also his career-high in the NBA Playoffs.

 

Alta Sports looks back at Jordan’s iconic 63-point game against the Boston Celtics, a performance that cemented his status as one of the all-time greats in the Association. 

 

 

Michael Jordan put on a dazzling display on April 20, 1986, showing NBA fans his tremendous talent in just his second year in the league. The Chicago star was able to play in only 18 games during that 1985-86 NBA season, after he broke a small bone in his foot in the Bulls’ third game of the year.

 

 

Jordan insisted on coming back late in the campaign despite the injury, helping the Bulls reach the playoffs in 1986 as the No. 8 seed. They faced a tall task, though, in the first round as they were matched up with the powerhouse Celtics.

 

Boston stamped its class in Game 1, recording an emphatic 123-104 win over Chicago. Larry Bird and Kevin McHale powered the Celtics, scoring 30 and 27 points, respectively. Jordan led the Bulls’ offense in defeat, scoring 49 points on 18-for-36 shooting.

 

Amazingly, Jordan’s offensive performance in the series opener paled in comparison to what he delivered in Game 2 of the first-round clash. He erupted for 63 points, 54 of which he scored in regulation. His efforts went for naught, though, as the Bulls absorbed a gut-wrenching 131-135 loss in double overtime.

 

 

Jordan’s Game 2 heroics have stood the test of time, as his 63 points against the Celtics remain the most scored in a single postseason game in NBA history. What made the feat so incredible was that he achieved it at the young age of 23.

 

Jordan shot 22-for-41 from the field and 19-for-21 from the free-throw line in that contest. He also had six assists, five rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 53 minutes of action. Jordan went 12-for-22 on pullup jumpers and shot 8-for-14 on his drives to the basket.

 

He wreaked havoc against Boston’s Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge, with 42 of his 63 points coming when he was defended by the Celtics duo.

 

The series eventually ended in a three-game sweep for the Celtics, but Jordan’s first-round performance against Boston remains the stuff of legends. He averaged 43.7 points per game in that series, the highest average for an NBA player in a single postseason.