One of Michael Jordan's worst performances was in a game where he scored 43 points

Originally posted on Basketball Network
By Yakshpat Bhargava | Last updated Nov 19, 2024 5:11 PM ET

Michael Jordan's talent, determination, and competitive edge made subpar performances a rarity throughout his 15-year NBA career. Even on his bad days, the five-time MVP outperformed what many would consider a good game. For instance, one of his worst showings saw him score 43 points. While this seems like a performance most players would celebrate, the 6'6" shooting guard was virtually determinantal to his own team in an 11-point loss.

MJ rarely had bad games

There are many night's Mike was way worse than when he scored 43 points. One of those instances came on March 22nd, 1986, against the Cleveland Cavaliers. On that day, Jordan posted his career-low eight points on 4-of-13 shooting from the field as the Chicago Bulls suffered a crushing 123-97 loss.

Similarly, during the 1986-87 campaign, Mike struggled against the Milwaukee Bucks on December 13th when he was able to register only 11 points on 3-of-17 shooting from the field. Another notable off-night occurred on March 15th, '87, when he recorded his second-lowest 10 points in 29 minutes against the Atlanta Hawks - which was his second-lowest total as a Bull.

However, one game that stands out as a paradoxical low for the 14-time All-Star came on January 15th, '87, against the Houston Rockets. Despite scoring 43 points, Mike didn't emerge as the lone warrior for his team, yet one of his worst shooting efforts was the prime reason why his team lost that contest at home.

Michael Jordan's 43-point performance against the Rockets

They say scorers need to shoot in order to score points, and that is exactly how "His Airness" played against the Rockets. While playing 43 minutes on the court, he attempted 43 field goals - essentially one shot per minute. Interestingly, no other player from either team attempted more than 20 field goals in that game.

Though the six-time NBA Champ did register a game-high 43 points against his name, he missed 26 of his field goal attempts, which was two more than the entire Bulls roster had knocked. Unsurprisingly, his ball-dominant and inefficient offensive showing contributed to the Bulls losing 107-96.

That being said, while this game might be considered one of the worst shooting performances of his career, it underscores just how extraordinary his baseline expectations were. A bad game for Michael Jordan, by his standards, was still a performance most players would gladly accept in their careers.

This article first appeared on Basketball Network and was syndicated with permission.

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