Michael Jordan’s 63 Opened Celtics’ Eyes in 1986 Playoffs, but Kevin McHale Knew Boston Would Win Series

Michael Jordan redefined playoff basketball on April 20, 1986, erupting for an NBA-record 63 points in Game 2 of the Chicago Bulls’ first-round series against the Boston Celtics. The performance, still unmatched in postseason history, left a vaunted Celtics squad scrambling and sparked one of the most iconic quotes in sports lore.

Facing a Celtics team that steamrolled to 67 regular-season wins, the eighth-seeded Bulls, with just 30 victories, seemed outmatched. Jordan, hobbled by a partially healed foot fracture that limited him to 18 regular-season games, had other plans.

After dropping 49 points in Game 1, he unleashed a scoring clinic in Game 2 at Boston Garden, hitting 12 of 22 pull-up jumpers, 8 of 14 drives, and 2 of 5 other shots, per ESPN.

Boston’s defense, stacked with five Hall of Famers — Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, and Bill Walton — threw everything at Jordan. Every Celtic defender, save for Rick Carlisle, surrendered a field goal to him.

“He was obviously in a zone,” Bird said postgame. “He kept them in the game with big basket after big basket. We couldn’t stop him.”

Bird’s awe culminated in a legendary declaration: “That was God disguised as Michael Jordan.”

Celtics No Longer Bored

Boston’s overconfidence set the stage for Jordan’s eruption, according to McHale.

“We barely game-planned for Chicago,” McHale told Dan Patrick on The Dan Patrick Show. “They had like 30, 33, 35 wins. We had won 67. We kind of went in there and said, ‘Let’s just run our stuff, be us, and we’ll be fine. We’re not gonna double-team him.'”

Jordan’s 63 points, scored in a double-overtime thriller, forced a rethink.

“K.C. Jones said, ‘We better double-team that guy because he’s a lot better than we thought he was,’” McHale recalled. “After that, in Game 3, we were all like, ‘Okay, gotta game-plan this guy.’”

Boston Regroups, Adjusts

Heading to Chicago for Game 3, McHale embodied Boston’s resolve — albeit with a dash of bravado. He infamously packed only a Dopp kit, no clothes, for the trip.

“I was like, ‘We’re playing one game, and we’re gone,’” McHale said. “They almost beat us in an overtime game, and I was like, ‘Nah, we’re gonna hammer these guys.’ The media made a big thing about me bringing a Dopp kit. They said, ‘What are you gonna do if you lose?’ I guess I’d smell bad.”

Boston’s Game 3 strategy was clear: smother Jordan.

“We double-teamed him almost every time and said, ‘Man, we gotta get the ball out of this guy’s hands,’” McHale explained.

The adjustment worked. Jordan, while nearly notching a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists, was contained. The Celtics rolled to a 122-104 rout, sweeping the series.

A Legend’s Arrival

Jordan’s Game 2 heroics, though not enough to topple Boston’s juggernaut, signaled his ascent.

“I knew he could really play,” McHale said. “I just didn’t know he was that explosive. I was startled when Michael started blowing up, a damn near unstoppable force.”

The performance underscored a timeless playoff truth: even titans like the 1986 Celtics, en route to a championship, couldn’t afford to underestimate a supernova like Jordan. As whispers of his greatness grew louder, the NBA world took notice — Michael Jordan was no longer a secret.

Meanwhile, the Celtics went on to win the NBA championship, their final one of the Bird era.