Michael Jordan was someone who could score at will, and the task of stopping His Airness was even tougher when he got into the zone.
In the 1992 Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers were the unfortunate witnesses to that.
Although the Blazers had the personnel to make life tough for MJ, the Chicago Bulls star went on a tear – particularly from the three-point line.
For most, that performance is best referred to as Jordan’s Shrug Game. Even Michael himself was in disbelief at how good he was from a distance that night.
Long-range shooting was working for Michael
Jordan, then best known for taking the ball hard to the basket, knew he had to expand his offensive repertoire. Being a guard, adding the three-point shot to his artillery was the way to go. When Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals got underway, Jordan’s hard work reaped dividends.
Mike converted six three-pointers in that game, part of his game-high 39 points as the Bulls won the NBA Finals opener, 122-89. Of that scoring mark, 35 came in the first half—an NBA Finals record.
“I was in a zone,” Jordan said in Roland Lazenby’s book, “Michael Jordan: The Life.” My threes felt like free throws. I didn’t know what I was doing but they were going in,” the Bulls star added.
That performance shamed the defensive efforts of Blazers forward Clifford Robinson who guarded MJ for most of the night. However, even Robinson admitted that it was practically impossible to put MJ in check.
Wanted to speak to Drexler after Game 6
That Game 1 performance ultimately set the tone for the 1992 NBA Finals. Although critics felt the Blazers had an equalizer in Clyde Drexler, Michael was in a league of his own. In the end, the Bulls won their second NBA title over the Trail Blazers, wrapping it up in six games.
Jordan was the NBA Finals MVP. He averaged 35.8 points in that final, shooting 52.6% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. Although Portland had more players averaging double-figure scoring at the time, it was just not enough to cover the scoring rampage of the best player in the world at the time.
Looking back at the 1992 NBA Finals, Jordan admitted that he planned to approach Drexler to thank him for a well-played series. That never happened as the Bulls were busy celebrating their title win.