Larry Bird once declared, “It’s just God dressed as Michael Jordan.”

Larry Bird once declared, “It’s just God dressed as Michael Jordan.”

Even with Jordan’s postseason record-setting 63 points, the Celtics prevailed in double OT.

The man who scored an incredible 63 points in a playoff game, Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird, could have thought was actually God dressed as Chicago Bulls guard Michael Jordan.

To be honest, though, don’t you think God would have awarded himself the victory for all that work if he had been going to put on some sneakers, play a double-overtime game, and smash Elgin Baylor’s 24-year-old record?

Unfortunately, even though he scored points and led his eighth-ranked Bulls to victory, they were ultimately defeated by the eighth-seeded Celtics at the Boston Garden on April 20, 1986, losing 135–131 in two overtime sessions.

Bird stated to The Boston Globe, “I never would have called him the greatest player I’d ever seen if I didn’t mean it.” “It’s just God in the Michael Jordan disguise.”

But what good is a god to an atheist? Bird, who finished with 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists, virtually had to play that position in order for Boston to win the game and take a 2-0 series lead into Chicago.

In his 53 minutes, Jordan scored points in a variety of ways, including dunks, layups, floaters, jump shots, and 3-pointers. He also finished 22 of 41 from the field to surpass Baylor’s record for postseason scoring. On April 14, 1962, during the championship series against the Celtics, the former Los Angeles Laker set the record with 61 points.

In the fourth quarter, Chicago led 111-110 thanks to Jordan’s 50th point. After grabbing the ball from Celtics center Robert Parish and making two free throws (his 53rd and 54th points) to tie the game at 116-116, the future Hall of Famer forced overtime.

Jordan ended with six assists, five rebounds, and 19 of 21 fouls committed from the foul line. 17 points in the first quarter, 6 in the second, 13 in the third, 18 in the fourth, 5 in the first overtime, and 4 in the second was how he broke down his scoring.

Jordan told The Washington Post, “I’m not worried about the points.” “If we could win, I’d take back every point.”

Ninety percent of the Bulls’ offensive plays in Game 1 of the best-of-five series went via Jordan, who finished with 49 points.

Bird told the Post, “He is the most awesome, most exciting player in the game.” “I didn’t think anyone could have hurt us the way Michael had the last two games.”

In front of a sellout crowd of 14,890, the Bulls seized an early lead (4-2) and would not give up until Bird’s shot clock-beating 3-pointer gave Boston a 93-92 edge. The game lasted three hours and five minutes. There were nine lead changes in a row after that.

And although everything that happened in the closing seconds could have made one think that Jordan, Bird, or Kevin McHale (who finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds) would emerge victorious, it was Jerry Sichting of the Celtics who sealed the victory for the enduring force.

Sichting, a 6-foot-1-inch guard participating in his second postseason game in a six-year career, broke the game’s thirteenth tie after taking an inside-out pass from McHale and pulling up from eighteen feet at the top of the key. With 57 seconds remaining, Boston had a 133-131 lead.

Sichting, who was acquired from the Indiana Pacers during the offseason, stated to The New York Times, “The play was intended to go to Kevin McHale, but he was double-teamed,

Jordan attempted an equalizer from the left baseline, but Parish blocked it. Then he tossed Bird an outlet pass, which Bird promptly returned to Parish.

Parish had been shooting the pick-and-roll with ease, but with nine seconds left, he collected Bird’s pass and made a 12-footer along the right baseline to give Boston a four-point lead. A three-pointer from the Bulls ended the thrilling game.

Bird recalled, “I gave it to him as soon as he set the pick and rolled.” “You have to give him the ball when he leaves. Robert Parish is not a concern for you. I never do since he has helped our club win a number of close games.

“We performed incredibly well,” Jordan remarked.