The Celtics were automatically the favorite to win after the first round of the 1986 Playoffs. The talented squad had already been through hell at that point, and its name was Michael Jordan.
Jordan was a threat during his early playoff years despite his lack of success. One of the craziest performances of those pre-championship years was his second against a championship Celtics squad that included Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale.
Chicago had finagled its way into the playoffs despite playing most of the season without Jordan because of a broken foot and posting a 30-52 record (a bad Eastern Conference isn't a new thing). The future GOAT made it back in time for the playoffs in hopes of pushing his team to the second round.
That didn't happen as the Celtics swept Chicago in a series of five. However, one of the greatest teams of all time merely survived Jordan, who averaged 43.7 points that series. His Airness put up a still NBA Playoff record 63 points in the Game 2 double-overtime loss (135-131) and one of the finest moments of his career.
A shook Bird notably said, “That was God disguised as Michael Jordan.” Mind you, this was one of the cockiest players of all time who Jordan humbled with that performance.
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