In his rookie year, Michael Jordan’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. With an average of 28.2 points per game, he ranked third highest in the league. Naturally, such impressive showings raised expectations for his playoff debut against the Milwaukee Bucks.
During the second half of the game, the Bulls’ shooting guard wasn’t able to score a single field goal. Some attributed this to Sidney Moncrief and the Bucks’ defense effectively keeping MJ contained. However, Jordan himself knew the true issue at hand – a troublesome tooth.
Jordan went scoreless in the second half
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During the first half of Game 1 in the 1985 Bulls vs. Bucks series, Jordan played exceptionally well, scoring a total of 19 points. However, as the Bulls found themselves behind by four points going into the third quarter, Moncrief, who was the reigning DPOY, stepped up his defensive game and applied full-court pressure on MJ.
In the third quarter, young Mike was unable to score any points, highlighting the effectiveness of the strategy. It was only in the fourth quarter that the 6’6″ guard managed to knock down four free throw attempts, resulting in his sole points of the game. Despite this, the Bucks emerged victorious with a 109-100 win while Jordan’s performance saw him shooting 7-of-19 from the field.
Sid may have given credit to his teammates for restricting Jordan’s performance in the second half, but the truth behind his struggles was much more personal.
Jordan expressed his struggle with his teeth, specifically a wisdom tooth pushing through the skin. He shared that it affected his performance during the game as it bothered him significantly, preventing him from making a basket in the second half. He mentioned that the issue will be addressed the following day.
MJ bounced back
Mike proved his worth by scoring 30 points on 52.9% shooting from the field and making 12 assists in Game 2 after receiving proper treatment for his tooth. However, despite three other Bulls starters scoring in double digits, the Bucks easily won 122-115. Jordan continued to perform well, averaging 32 points over the next two games, but Milwaukee ultimately ended the series in four games.
It has been speculated by some that MJ’s inability to perform during playoffs may have been a concern. However, little did they know that the talented shooting guard, who had gone scoreless, would go on to become the most outstanding playoff performer of the 90s.
In 1985, Michael Jordan suffered a foot injury during a game and he blamed his shoes for it. He was so frustrated that he almost left Nike. According to reports, Phil Knight, the co-founder of Nike, was convinced that Jordan would leave the company. However, Jordan eventually decided to stay with Nike and even launched his own signature line of shoes, which became a massive success.