Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan adds another achievement to his remarkable resume when he drops 63 points on the Boston Celtics in the 1986 NBA Playoffs
On April 20, 1986, Michael Jordan set the all-time NBA playoff record by scoring 63 points against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference First Round. Despite the 135-131 double-overtime loss, Jordan’s performance at Boston Garden remains the highest single-game scoring total in NBA postseason history.
The performance took on an almost mythic quality given the circumstances. Michael Jordan was only in his second NBA season and had just returned from a broken foot that limited him to 18 regular-season games. On the road against the eventual champion Boston Celtics—a team loaded with Hall of Fame talent—Jordan repeatedly attacked a defense anchored by size, discipline, and experience. He shot 22-of-41 from the field and an incredible 19-of-21 from the free-throw line, carrying the Chicago Bulls’ offense possession after possession in a game that felt increasingly inevitable with every touch.
The 63-point outburst not only set a playoff record that still stands, but also marked the beginning of Jordan’s transformation into the defining figure of the sport, a player capable of bending even the most formidable opponents to his will, if only for a night.