Full Game: The Career-High 69-Point Masterpiece | Michael Jordan vs Cavaliers (March 28, 1990)

This is the complete broadcast of Michael Jordan’s career-high 69-point performance against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 28, 1990. In a hostile Richfield Coliseum, Jordan delivered one of the most statistically dominant games in NBA history, leading the Chicago Bulls to a crucial 117-113 overtime victory over their Central Division rivals. This game stands as a defining moment of Jordan's individual brilliance and his relentless competitive will.

In his first season under head coach Phil Jackson, Jordan shouldered an immense burden as Scottie Pippen was sidelined with the flu. The result was a comprehensive offensive assault and a showcase of all-around dominance. Jordan finished the game with 69 points on 23-for-37 shooting, adding a career-high 18 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in 50 minutes of play. He was so complete that for stretches of the fourth quarter and overtime, he took over point guard duties to will his team to the win.

Afterward, Jordan himself framed the historical context of the performance. "It was my best game ever, by far, from an all-around standpoint," he told the Chicago Tribune. "When I scored 63 against Boston, I was just a scorer. This was a whole game." The effort left the Cavaliers demoralized. "He's the best. I'm not ashamed to say it," said Cleveland's primary defender, Craig Ehlo. "We had three guys on him at the end, and he still scored. What can you do?" Cavs coach Lenny Wilkens was equally blunt in his assessment: "We tried to double-team him, we tried to trap him, we tried everything. He was just magnificent."

The performance was so staggering that it even impressed his new coach, who was attempting to instill a more team-oriented philosophy. As Phil Jackson recalled in his book Eleven Rings, "After the game, I told the reporters that it wasn't the points that impressed me as much as his all-around play... 'Michael is a whole team,' I said. 'He's a microcosm of a basketball team in one person.'" While some teammates, according to The Jordan Rules, were quietly frustrated by the sheer volume of shots, the victory was paramount, pushing the Bulls four games ahead of Cleveland in the standings and serving as another psychological blow in a rivalry Jordan had come to dominate.