Michael Jordan is best known for his scoring. His highest-scoring game was 69 points, which he achieved in March 1990 when the Chicago Bulls defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in overtime, 117-113.
Jordan connected on 23 of his 37 shot attempts from the field. He was also 21 of 23 from the free-throw line and had two three-pointers in that game. Mike also contributed to other departments. In 50 minutes of action, he grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and a block.
After the game, Jordan admitted it was one of his best performances. However, he clarified that it was not solely about standing out but helping the Bulls get the win.
“I try to do whatever I can to help the team win. My heart goes into every game and this exemplified that,” ‘His Airness’ said at the time via UPI.com.
Phil Jackson didn’t want MJ to do it all
Then, coach Phil Jackson admitted that he preferred not to rely solely on Jordan. He didn’t want to deprive other players of a chance to contribute. However, when Jordan has a great game like that, the Zen Master would prefer to let Jordan loose.
“It’s not my favorite thing to do, to go to a player that often, because it takes (his teammates) out of it,” Jackson said. “But as an individual performance, it was sparkling. He had everything going for him,” he added.
The bulls got a boost from Jordan
The game was crucial to the Bulls. By beating the Cavs, Chicago clinched a playoff spot. The victory was also the team’s seventh straight road win.
The scoring splurge of the third overall pick of the 1984 Draft was badly needed, especially since Jackson hardly got scoring from his other players. The only other player who backed up Jordan was Horace Grant, who scored 16 points.
On the other hand, the Cavs got good performances from five of their players. Mark Price led Cleveland with 31 points and 8 assists, and Craig Ehlo added 26 points and 9 rebounds in that loss.
As for Jordan, the 69-point outburst was the best he had in his NBA career. It eclipsed his previous personal scoring best in 1987 against the Atlanta Hawks. ‘Black Jesus’ dropped 61 points in that game, along with 10 rebounds. Unfortunately, Chicago lost to Atlanta, 117-114 at the time.
Chicago would advance to the playoffs that season as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the eventual champions, the Detroit Pistons, in seven games. It was the third consecutive season that the Pistons eliminated the Bulls in the Eastern Conference playoffs.