Bulls @ Knicks, April 1988. Jordan 47 points

April 19, 1988

78 games into the 1987-88 season, the Bulls were 48-30. They needed to win 2 out the final 4 games to reach the 50-win mark for the first time in 15 years. Scoring 47 points on 18-27 (67%) shooting, Jordan made sure they got the first one.

He had various great dunks and drives along with the jumpers. This is the game in which he accidentally kicks Ewing in the head after one of his well-known alley-oops.

And yes, commentary wasn't English.

Enjoy.

Post game notes and quotes:
=========================
BULLS 121 KNICKS 118

NEW YORK -- Michael Jordan put on a magic dunking show and brilliant all-round scoring performance Tuesday night that had the local media, as well as himself, thinking MVP.

He scored a game-high 47 points, including six sensational dunks, to lead the Bulls (49-30), the league's hottest team with six wins in a row, to a 121-118 victory over the Knicks before a sellout Madison Square Garden crowd of 15,591.

"Do you think you should win the MVP this year?" a writer asked Jordan.

"Sure," Jordan said. "I thought I played well enough to win it last year and didn't. I deserve to win it this year, too, because I'm playing even better. They've said in the past that to win MVP, you must be on a winning team and you must be a good all-round player. Well, if those are the credentials, then I believe I qualify.

"Of course, that doesn't mean I'll get it. It depends upon you guys. I would like to get MVP for our fans, our team and myself. But more than anything, I want us to go all the way. And I want us to get 50 wins."

Jordan has been fighting a stomach virus for the last four or five days, according to his coach Doug Collins, who simply shook his head in amazement at game's end while trying to describe Jordan's play.

"He is just that rare athlete who finds a way to get himself mentally prepared for a game when he's not physically up to par," Collins said.

"A mediocre player will use being sick as an excuse not to play well. Michael uses it to make himself better, to psyche himself up to a different level. It's a level a lot of people have never seen before."

"I was struggling just trying to get through it," Jordan said after scoring more points than any player the Knicks have faced this season. "I felt bad before the game, but as it went on I just figured why stop now."

"I don't know if there's anyone better than Jordan," New York Coach Rick Pitino said. "We tried to stop him, but he's Superman. You can't stop Superman. I don't have any Kryptonite. Several players can dominate a game, but none like him."

The Bulls took control of the game with an 11-4 run in the last 3 1/2 minutes of the third quarter and took an 11-point lead going into the final period. Jordan had 12 points in the third period, but the best was yet to come.

He had two straight thunder jobs in the mid-fourth. One was on an alley-oop feed from Vincent, capping a fast break and turning into a three-point play. His dunks electrified the Garden crowd that cheered him on. Jordan, hanging on the rim after Mark Jackson fouled him, swung around and added insult to injury when he accidentally kicked Knick center Patrick Ewing smack in the face.

"That was the funniest thing I've seen in a while," Paxson said, "and probably the most exciting quarter of the season."

On the Bulls' next possession moments later, the 6-6 Jordan drove the baseline and dunked over the seven-foot Ewing, again triggering a roar of cheers.

"Jordan was unbelieveable," Collins said. "He broke their press consistently, took it right through their defense and scored."

"He was simply amazing," Ewing said. "Nobody could stop him tonight."

''We needed a win and they needed a win,'' said Jordan, who shot 18 for 27 from the field. ''The challenge was there. I tried to disappoint them as much as possible. I really felt good in terms on my game. Once I'm hitting the outside jumper the way I did tonight, it makes me a more deadly player.''

The Knicks came back with a three-point play by Gerald Wilkins, a Trent Tucker layup, Ewing's short hook and another short jumper by Wilkins to get within 119-118 with 47 seconds left.

It was Jordan's turn again. Everyone in the rocking arena knew he was getting the ball, and Jackson had no choice but to foul him as he drove to the basket with 12 seconds left. Jordan made both free throws for the final margin, but the Bulls still had to sweat out three final shots.

Wilkins fired first from three-point range and Jordan partially blocked it. Tucker got the rebound and forced another shot that was rebounded by Ewing. Immediately, he fired out to Jackson.

"The last shot felt real good leaving my hands," Jackson said, "But I kind of rushed it a little. I was real concerned about getting it off before the buzzer. But what can you do, we've won some like that, too."

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Michael
• Jordan
• Bulls
• Knicks
• 1988
• Chicago
• New
• York
• Bird
• Kareem
• Wilt
• Lebron
• Wade
• Kobe
• Tmac
• Iverson

[MJisKingKobesuckss]

This was real NBA Basketball, not this weak shit today. Jordan=GOAT

[saturndual32]

Incredible highlights!. Much better than Kobes 61 point performance, this Knicks team was much tougher than whatever it was that Kobe faced.

Great song selection too!

[hakola95]

@NaturalLife24 LOL. The 1985-86 were a level above the 1995-96 Bulls. That's not even open to debate.

[hakola95]

@NaturalLife24 Except for the fact that the Bulls lost that game. Actually, of the five times in his career that Jordan scored 60 or more (four regular season, one in the playoffs), the Bulls lost three of those games. Of Kobe's five 60-point games, the Lakers won each one. Plus, Jordan needed overtime (or, in the case of that Celtics game, two overtimes) four times to get his 60 points; Kobe needed overtime only once.

[MrIamabitch]

69>81

[NaturalLife24]

@hakola95 That's just flat out false. I would go as far to say that MJ's 63 point performance against the Celts in '86 (arguably the greatest assembled team in NBA history, other than the '96 Bulls of course) is more impressive than Kobe's 81 against the JV-caliber Raptors.

[RickyMoss]

4:40 "Mama there goes that jam"

[Infynyte]

Jordan learn from Dr J at 0:34 lol

[hakola95]

@dmun5587red123 For example, the Lakers won all five of Kobe's 60+ point games; the Bulls won only two of Jordan's 60-point games. Only one of Kobe's 60-point games went into overtime; four of Jordan's five went into overtime.

[hakola95]

@dmun5587red123 Agreed. That's why I would say that Jordan is better than Kobe--not by a lot, but he's better. My point was in response to that other guy who was trying to claim that Kobe "could never do this." He did do it, many times, and his greatest performances (e.g. his 81 point game) were superior to Jordan's greatest performances.

[dmun5587red123]

@hakola95 yes. however, despite kobe's great performance, MJ still averaged more points for his career. it tells me, Jordan's great games were more consistent. anyone can drop 55 in today's game (monta ellis for example or brandon jennings). but how often and consistently, and efficiently is the key

[hakola95]

@rrTale Actually, that describes all the great players.