Michael Jordan vs Larry Bird Highlights (1991.03.31) - 71pts, Crazy Battle! Must Watch!

They have won their division only once. That was back in 74-75, a team of Jerry Sloan and Norm Van Leer and Bob Love, Chet Walker, Tom Burwinkle. However, their success will be measured by only one standard, that is making it out of the Eastern Conference to the NBA Finals. In case the assistant mentioned, we just haven't been running as much, therefore not getting as many open shots in transition. An open jumper for Jordan. Jordan has had a number of big games against Lewis, and Lewis has also turned the trick on Jordan Gamble, opening up by hitting his first. With his first field goal. They're making so many of their first shot attempts. Axson played Lewis well, as Lewis tried to use the height advantage. Two on one, Pippen from Jordan, and the Bulls now lead 19-14. And Jordan got the ball out of his hands without putting it back on the floor. Giant start for Michael Jordan. Only one for four for two points. Here's Byrd. The season, but he has been breaking out away from Chicago recently. Byrd. Again. He used to have the rhythm. And the official, Joe Forte. Here's Jordan. They have carried it. Oh! And the foul is called. When he notices the guy on the right isn't there, realize that, you know what, there's somebody else up on the left. He wants to go right, but instead, at the last second, that's hang time. Mike McGee was a man who played Jordan for the Atlanta Hawks, and I know as Axson hits again. He is honest. One thing is, he's honest. Yes, he does say what's on his mind, which can't be good and bad. And Larry Byrd, with eight points. One minute to go. First quarter. Byrd with the step, and hit from behind. A couple of the last two games in Boston. In uncharacteristic fashion. On the rebound. Caught right back for Purdue. Two Celtics back. Jordan going right at them. Yes, and it counts. Nightmare for a defender. Michael Jordan coming at you one-on-one. Take right, go left. One dribble. Concentration. The NBA tell me they do not want to be, as they say, posterized. Now Byrd going to work on Cliff Levingston, who just checked in and made it look perfect. Byrd one-on-one with Levingston. He backs him down, backs him down, gets to the point where he's comfortable with the shot. Final seconds. Here's Shaw. Jordan, he bottled him up. Brandt over Byrd. Yes, 6-5-3. Reggie Lewis playing with a bad back. Hackson. Brandt not giving Byrd any room. Byrd was looking to step back. Shaw, he was caught that time, so he took a shot and gambled, came up with the steal. Here's Byrd, Jordan, and there was no hesitation. After the good start by Chicago, here on the third. Here's Jordan swinging in. Michael Jordan. Putting in, let's call them the Celtics rules for Michael Jordan. A little bit different than they played him in the past, as Larry Byrd strokes another jump shot. They just decided who's going to do the double teaming, where they're going to come from, are they going to double all the time, or dip in with the drive, transition to go. And the third, Boston by two. Jordan with a rare open shot. They're being very aggressive with him. The game is tied at 67. Parrish, off the head fake, 69. Chicago, 67. Jordan eluding a triple team. Michael really wanted to get that shot off that time because he had made the previous one. He wants to see if he can get himself on a little roll. Now Reggie Lewis up tight on Michael Jordan, and it's an offensive, or is it a travel? Let's see. Traveling violation. Celtics led by as many as seven. Jordan, yes, well he has located the touch. He has 15, he has seven for 16. Jordan getting inside and has fouled Will Purdue, the NBA, and scoring at 30.8. Now Byrd, King Pippen, five of the 24, round five by seven. Has not been looking for the three-pointers. He's been off in that department recently. Jordan had it knocked away by Byrd, and again stepping in the path to help break up the play. Time to wound up being Byrd on Jordan. Byrd has to give him room because he knows he's too quick. Three on Byrd, among the leaders in field goal percentage. Larry Byrd with 20 points to lead the Celtics, and Michael Jordan heating up in the second half, and they are now matched, which is most unusual. Here's Brown, he's been on fire, yes, and it counts. Now being guarded by Ed Bickney, and Michael Jordan with 21. Turnover, McHale. Under 204, that's one stroke in front of Puzzey Zeller. Here's Pippen, oh spectacular move by Scottie Pippen, he has 21. Jordan puts the move on Reggie Lewis, and gets the roll. 23 for Jordan, who's come on. Michael Jordan knows that he can take any one defender, but when it's one, two, three, and even four coming over, still pretty tough. Byrd for three. Up another nine point lead. Just a little bit closer that time, challenging no more easy ones. Jordan, yes. Michael Jordan has 25. He's with it, but the idea is good. Celtics control the tap. Good luck by Byrd at the goal, Ted. Perdue slapping it aside, it will count. What they're doing is keeping Jordan in the middle of the floor, trying to get the defense to collapse from the wings, so he opens up his teammates for the three, just like that. Did not have the room in that first opportunity, but then, oh as we mentioned earlier, was a question mark for today because of a bad back. Here's Jordan, yes. Michael Jordan with the pure penetration. Here's Jordan, giving it up. Pippen, four point, Boston leads. So Jordan with 27, and Byrd with 25. Larry Byrd with a terrific all-around performance. Celtics have led by as many as 14. Jordan, off the double pump. Last time, Celtics were headed up the floor. The officials reach around, they still just get it back out on the side. Oh, look out, Jordan, strangle. It was only three for 11 from the floor, and Mike, despite the success of the ball circle, that'll get him to go when he couldn't hold on. Initial back cutter early that he didn't take right around the middle of the foul line area. Instead, when he got over on the sideline, that's when he tried to back it up. Here's McHale, back for Byrd, for the game winner. They still thought it was going to go in after it was up on the top of the glass. From the foul line, Boston has been at the line only 12 times. Pippen with the step, and then rejected by Byrd. Jordan was deflected short. They shoot 60 percent. Here's Jordan, and he's five seconds to go in the overtime. Lewis with the step, and then stripped by Jordan. Sells in this position by pressing after the made free throw. As a result, the shot clock is way down. McHale knows he's just got to get it out of there before the buzzer goes off. Instead, the steal on their way at the other end. Pippen leading the break, turns around, finds Paxson trailing, knocks out a three to tie the score. Now, Grant over to help. Byrd is stopped. Byrd recovers, stopped again, and Cartwright able to get to it. Phil Jackson says keep going, no timeout, they'll try to win it here. Final seconds, Jordan, and Byrd is fouled with one-tenth of a second. As you see, Byrd 0 for his last eight, and Jordan 0 for his last seven. One and one-tenth second left, and here it is. Byrd, intended pass for the prayer, tying runs out. Only Dee Brown was inside. Scottie Pippen, now a look to throw in. Four-tenths of a second, and here it is. Jordan with the play. That's a tough call right there. Well, if that ball is still in his hands, that red light is on right there, that's what you're looking for. If it's in his hands, then it has not been released yet, and the shot would not count. Everything from there looks good, except we just can't see the clock or the red light from that angle. All right, here's a look at regular speed. You see the shot clock. Now you couldn't really see it. It ran off too quickly, so Mike Mathis said too late, and the Chicago Bulls, with a mild protest, have to accept the fact that they're going into a second overtime. He has not shot well down the stretch. Neither has Jordan. It's great to hear all these coaches talk about they're really concerned as Byrd gets a little fadeaway. They're really concerned about the minutes building up. They want to be fresh going into the playoffs. Overtime number two. Byrd. Yes. Boston, 120. Cartwright with the dunk and under move, and Cartwright thought he was fouled, and the foul called on the Celtics. This, when I see the disparity of the free throws, and the second overtime. He got the whistle on the two free throws. Byrd never gave up on the shot after he released it. He hangs with it. He's still hanging with it. Yeah, I knew it was going. The free throw, five points. Celtic lead, 220 to go. Second overtime. Byrd, stripped. Pippen on the recovery. Shaw comes away with it. Just under two minutes to go in the second overtime. Jordan draws it, and he hits. Very friendly rims here at the Boston Garden. His concentration is so great. He honestly feels this thing is going in. He hangs with it, hangs with it. He's on the ground right now saying, I know this is going in. Shaw called for his fourth. He has 37.45 to go in the second overtime. Byrd fires. Yes. Grant just kind of shook his head and said, this guy's too much. And the champ of clarity. 129. Chicago has one timeout remaining. Three-point attempt by Pippen. If not, he's going to try to get it to Paxson and Pippen on the wing. And here's Jordan for three. Overtime, and that will do it. At 18, and Boston goes to 52-20. Today's Millard Genuine Draft player of the game, Larry Byrd, with 34 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists on behalf of Larry Byrd, a Millard Genuine Draft.