Michael Jordan’s playoff record was 30-7 in playoff series and 119-60 in playoff games. His Chicago Bulls won six NBA titles. Jordan has the highest scoring average for any player in NBA history at 33.4 points per game and is second in total points with 5,987 points in 179 games.
Table of Contents
Playoff: 1985 -Jordan’s Rookie Year (0-1 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Bulls vs Bucks
LOSS
1-3
The Bulls lost to a Bucks team featuring Terry Cummings and Sidney Moncrief.
Michael Jordan’s 1985 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
4
42.8
29.3
8.5
5.8
Playoff: 1986 (0-1 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Bulls vs Celtics
LOSS
0-3
The Bulls lost to an all-time great Boston Celtics team featuring possibly the best frontcourt in NBA history. The C’s had four Hall of Famers up front: Larry Bird,Kevin McHale, Robert Parish and Bill Walton. They also had Hall of Famer Dennis Johnson starting in the backcourt.
The Celtics won the NBA title in 1986.
This series saw Jordan put up 63 points in a game 2 loss. It is the highest scoring game in NBA Playoff history.
Michael Jordan’s 1986 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
3
45.0
43.7
5.7
6.3
Playoff: 1987 (0-1 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Bulls vs Celtics
LOSS
0-3
The Bulls once again lost to a C’s team featuring Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale.
Michael Jordan’s 1987 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
3
42.7
35.7
6.0
7.0
Playoff: 1988 (1-1 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Bulls vs Cavs
WIN
3-2
Bulls vs Pistons
LOSS
1-4
The Bulls beat a Cleveland Cavaliers team featuring Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Larry Nance (Sr) and future Jordan teammate Ron Harper.
The Bulls lost to the Bad Boy Pistons featuring Bill Laimbeer, Adrian Dantley, Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and future Jordan teammate Dennis Rodman.
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Michael Jordan’s 1988 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
10
42.7
36.3
4.7
7.1
Playoff: 1989 (2-1 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Bulls vs Cavs
WIN
3-2
Bulls vs Knicks
WIN
4-2
Bulls vs Pistons
LOSS
2-4
The Bulls once again beat a Cavs team featuring Mark Price, Brad Daugherty and Ron Harper. This is the series where Jordan hit “the shot”. Down one point with three seconds remaining in the deciding game five of the series, Jordan did this…
The Bulls also beat a Knicks team starring Patrick Ewing and also featuring Mark Jackson and former Bull Charles Oakley.
The Bulls exited the playoffs in a loss to the Bad Boy Pistons for a second year in a row. This version still featured Isaih Thomas, Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman but also had Mark Aguirre.
Michael Jordan’s 1989 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
17
42.2
34.8
7.6
7.0
Playoff: 1990 (2-1 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Bulls vs Bucks
WIN
3-1
Bulls vs Sixers
WIN
4-1
Bulls vs Pistons
LOSS
3-4
The Bulls beat a Bucks team now starring Alvin Robertson and Ricky Pierce.
The Bulls lost for the third straight season to the Bad Boy Pistons using their Jordan Rules. The Pistons still starred Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Mark Aguirre, Dennis Rodman, Bill Laimbeer and others.
The Bulls beat a Knicks team starring Patrick Ewing. The Knicks had added Kiki Vandewehge and still featured Charles Oakley.
The Bulls beat a Sixers squad starring Charles Barkley. They also had Hersey Hawkins but not much else.
The Bulls swept the Bad Boy Pistons who were reaching the end of their great run. They still had all the same stars: Dumars, Thomas, Rodman, Aguirre, Laimbeer, etc.
The Bulls defeated a post-Kareem Showtime Lakers team in the Finals. The Lakers still had Magic Johnson and Big-Game James Worthy but now had a young Vlade Divac at center and Sam Perkins at the other forward spot.
It is worth taking a moment here to notice what an amazing run Michael Jordan and the Bulls had to go on to win their first title: they beat teams featuring two all-time great Hall of Famers in Patrick Ewing and Charles Barkley then beat a two-time champion Bad Boys Piston squad featuring three Hall of Famers in Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Dennis Rodman THEN defeated one of the top ten players of all time in Magic Johnson on a team with at least one other Hall of Famer in James Worthy.
None of those teams was at their absolute peak in this year, but the Bulls still certainly ran the gauntlet to get this title.
Michael Jordan’s 1991 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
17
40.5
31.1
8.4
6.4
Playoff: 1992 (4-0 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Bulls vs Heat
WIN
3-0
Bulls vs Knicks
WIN
4-3
Bulls vs Cavs
WIN
4-2
Bulls vs Blazers
WIN
4-2
The Bulls started their title defense by sweeping a Miami Heat team featuring Rony Seikaly, Glen Rice and Steve Smith.
The Bulls took seven game to defeat a Knicks team that was approaching their peak. They still starred Patrick Ewing along with Mark Jackson and Charles Oakley.
The Bulls got by a peaking Cleveland Cavs team in six games in the Conference Finals. The Cavs still had Mark Price, Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance.
The Bulls won their second title by defeating a fun Portland Trailblazers team featuring Clyde Drexler, Jerome Kersey and Terry Porter.
The Bulls began their third title run with a sweep over the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks still starred Dominique Wikins and also had Kevin Willis and Stacey Augmon.
The Bulls then dispatched a Cavs team that was passing their prime. They still had Mark Price, Brad Daugherty and Larry Nance but the physical problems faced by both Daugherty and Price that would end their run were starting to show.
The Bulls got by a prime Knicks team now featuring mostly John Starks and Anthony Mason next to their star Patrick Ewing. The Knicks would make a run to the NBA Finals the following year in MJ’s absence.
In the Finals, the Bulls shut down the Phoenix Suns starring Charles Barkley in what was his best chance at a title ever. That fun Suns squad also starred Kevin Johnson and “Thunder” Dan Majerle.
Michael Jordan’s 1993 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
19
41.2
35.1
6.0
6.7
Michael Jordan “retired” for the first time after the Bulls first threepeat and played baseball the following season. He missed the entire 1993-1994 season.
Jordan then unretired for the last 17 games of the 1994-1995 season. He was still rounding into form when the Bulls went to the playoffs in 1995.
Playoff: 1995 (1-1 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Hornets
WIN
3-1
Magic
LOSS
2-4
The Bulls got by a young, fun Charlotte Hornets team featuring Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson and Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues.
The Bulls lost to another young, fun team: the Orlando Magic featuring Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal. The Magic also featured former Bull Horace Grant. The Magic would defeat the Pacers in the Conference Final before getting swept by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets.
Michael Jordan’s 1995 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
10
42.0
31.5
4.5
6.5
Playoff: 1996 (4-0 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Bulls vs Heat
WIN
3-0
Bulls vs Knicks
WIN
4-1
Bulls vs Magic
WIN
4-0
Bulls vs SuperSonics
WIN
4-2
The Bulls began their second threepeat by dispatching a changed Heat team that now featured Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway and also had future Twitter star Rex Chapman.
The Bulls got by the Knicks in five games. The Knicks still had Patrick Ewing and mostly the same supporting group featuring John Starks, Anthony Mason and Charles Oakley.
The Bulls swept the same Magic team that had beaten them the prior year when MJ was just returning from baseball. The Magic starred Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. In this series new Bull star Dennis Rodman, who had previously guarded Jordan at times while with the Pistons, guarded Shaq for stretches in a testament to his incredible defensive versatility.
The Bulls re-took the top spot in the league by defeating a very fun Sonics squad featuring The Glove Gary Payton and the ReignMan Shawn Kemp. It was the high point for the Sonics as their star pair of Payton and Kemp would only make it one more season before Kemp was shipped out due in part to his addiction issues.
The Bulls began the ‘97 playoffs by sweeping a Bullets team starring Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Rod Strickland.
The Bulls easily got by a forgettable Hawks team featuring Dikembe Mutombo, Christian Laettner, Steve Smith and Mookie Blaylock.
The Bulls also easily got past a Heat team starring Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway.
The Bulls claimed their fifth title by defeating the Utah Jazz starring their iconic duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton. Jordan took control of the ‘97 Finals with his incredible effort in the famous Flu game where he scored 38 points to will the team to victory in game 5.
Michael Jordan’s 1997 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
19
42.3
31.1
4.8
7.9
Playoff: 1998 (4-0 Playoff Series)
Matchup
Jordan/Bulls Result
Games
Bulls vs Nets
WIN
3-0
Bulls vs Hornets
WIN
4-1
Bulls vs Pacers
WIN
4-3
Bulls vs Jazz
WIN
4-2
The Bulls began their last title run by sweeping a Nets team featuring (and I use the term loosely) Sherman Douglas, Kerry Kittles, and Jayson Williams.
The Bulls then got past a changed Hornets team now featuring Glen Rice, Vlade Divac and Anthony Mason.
The Bulls defeated a tougher Pacers squad in seven games in the Eastern Conference Final. The Pacers featured Knicks-Killer Reggie Miller, Rik Smits and Mark Jackson.
The Bulls capped their second threepeat with an epic win in a rematch with Utah Jazz of John Stockton and Karl Malone. MJ finished the main part of his career in style by hitting his second iconic “shot” – this one over Bryon Russell.
Michael Jordan’s 1998 Playoff Stats
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
21
41.5
32.4
3.5
5.1
Michael Jordan’s Playoff Record: Stats
While MJ did make an unfortunate comeback with the Wizards, neither of those teams made the playoffs. So all of Michael Jordan’s playoff statistics come from his time with the Bulls.
Games
Minutes
PTS
ASTS
RBDS
179
41.8
33.4
5.7
6.4
Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls went 30-7 in playoff series and 119-60 in playoff games. They won 6 titles separated into two threepeats by the two years Jordan stopped playing basketball to play baseball.
Jordan won the Finals MVP in all six NBA Finals series he played in and went 6-0 in Finals series.
I have been a Boston sports fan for more than forty years. I write about games, players and seasons from the past.
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