1980's Michael Jordan vs Loaded Rivals Milwaukee Bucks - Back To The Future

This game was truly a sign of the times. Phil Jackson took over coaching duties after Doug Collins was thrown from the game by the referees. Michael Jordan was still actively being held back by his lackluster teammates, however there were glimpses of brilliance. One glimpse of brilliance from this game, in particular, was a sign of things to come.
To this point in his career, Scottie Pippen was a disappointment. Scottie was a very inconsistent player, at this stage. And the lasting memory of Scottie Pippen's first 3 years in the NBA, is how poor he performed against the Detroit Pistons in 1988, 1989, and 1990, in the NBA Playoffs. Pippen was anything but a star. Scottie was an athlete with "potential", still. In this game against the Bucks, however, Scottie gave a glimpse of the help he could provide for Michael, one day.
One thing was certain, for Michael Jordan, with his 1980's Chicago Bulls.... No lead was safe with the 1980's Chicago Bulls. The efforts that Jordan put in to the wins, for the Bulls in the 1980's, were some of the greatest 2-way efforts ever seen on a basketball court. Even in this game, a game in which Scottie Pippen contributed some meaningful minutes off the bench... Jordan couldn't even rest, to begin the 4th quarter, without the Bulls blowing the lead.
Also seen in this game, the Bucks & many other teams would use half court traps / zone defense, just like "modern" teams, when they were losing. For long time fans of basketball, you know teams have always run zones as a switch-up defense, attempting to shake up a game. It's not a big deal. To some, they believe Jordan didn't face every defense known to basketball when in fact Jordan saw every defense known to basketball, and destroyed them.
Young historians take note. Jordan's scoring aggressiveness in this game was a regular tactic he employed throughout his career. There is a belief, by some, that Michael was aggressive all game long. That is in fact, not true. There were many games where Michael Jordan made it a focus, to keep his teammates involved, for the first 3 quarters, and he would take over the game, in the 4th quarter. It's the most brilliant superstar strategy of all time. Jordan's scoring average, on basketball-reference, doesn't tell that part of the story. Had Jordan been aggressive, in every single game, for 4 quarters, his entire career... one can only imagine what his career average would be. Anyone who actually watched Bulls games, live, during Jordan's era, will remember numerous games where Jordan's aggressiveness was tempered in quarters 1-3, but in the 4th quarter, it was winning time, or as many announcers would say, it's Jordan time. He didn't apply that strategy every game, but he did, quite often.
This Milwaukee Bucks team was stacked, and the 1980's Bucks played with heart & determination. Terry Cummings, Ricky Pierce, Sidney Moncrief, Jay Humphries, Larry Krystkowiak, Paul Mokeski, Randy Breuer, Jeff Grayer, Jack Sikma and Fred Roberts were competitors. The Bulls vs Bucks rivalry of the 80's was fun to watch. This classic intense game in Milwaukee, brought back a lot of the old emotions, between the Bulls vs the Bucks.
(1988-89 Season)
TIMESTAMPS:
2:26 - Game begins
3:13 - Jay Humphries jumper
3:43 - Michael Jordan poster dunk on 2x DPOY Sidney Moncrief
4:03 - Terry Cummings driving layup
4:10 - Jack Sikma outside jumper
4:25 - Terry Cummings save
4:30 - Jay Humphries pull up jumper
4:48 - Jay Humphries pull up jumper
6:45 - Terry Cummings tough inside bucket
6:59 - Terry Cummings driving layup
7:47 - Pippen bank shot
8:19 - Ricky Pierce jumper
8:35 - Ricky Pierce baseline jumper
8:43 - Ricky Pierce outside jumper
9:12 - Pippen outside jumper
10:15 - Randy Breuer hook shot
10:30 - Jeff Grayer transition layup
11:00 - Sidney Moncrief driving layup
11:15 - Pippen lefty layup and 1
11:44 - Terry Cummings pull up jumper
12:30 - Jay Humphries outside jumper
12:38 - Sidney Moncrief frantic defense on Michael Jordan
13:19 - Jay Humphries transition layup and 1
15:18 - Doug Collins ejected from the game
16:18 - Phil Jackson takes over coaching duties
17:40 - Michael Jordan driving layup and 1
18:44 - Michael Jordan baseline driving layup
19:13 - Jay Humphries transition layup and 1
19:48 - Sidney Moncrief running hook
20:50 - Michael Jordan baseline pull up jumper over Jack Sikma
21:28 - Terry Cummings fadeaway jumper
23:54 - Del Harris gets ejected from the game
25:00 - Michael Jordan blocks Jack Sikma
26:26 - Michael Jordan bank shot
26:45 - Jack Sikma lefty runner
27:09 - Grant jumper
27:28 - Jay Humphries driving layup
28:25 - Jeff Grayer pull up jumper
28:49 - Michael Jordan baseline jumper
29:05 - Sidney Moncrief driving layup
29:15 - Michael Jordan jumper
29:26 - Michael Jordan pull up jumper
29:50 - Larry Krystkowiak jumper
30:02 - Michael Jordan corner jumper
30:58 - Michael Jordan dunk vs zone defense
32:15 - Michael Jordan steal
32:36 - Michael Jordan layup and 1

[@kb2602]

sidney moncrief defense in the 1st half was absolutely ridiculous, jay Humphries geez he was balling and what a physical game

[@leonblack751]

MJ i took this personal .Goat

[@BlitzSportsNetwork]

TIMESTAMPS:
2:26 - Game begins
3:13 - Jay Humphries jumper
3:43 - Michael Jordan poster dunk on 2x DPOY Sidney Moncrief
4:03 - Terry Cummings driving layup
4:10 - Jack Sikma outside jumper
4:25 - Terry Cummings save
4:30 - Jay Humphries pull up jumper
4:48 - Jay Humphries pull up jumper
6:45 - Terry Cummings tough inside bucket
6:59 - Terry Cummings driving layup
7:47 - Pippen bank shot
8:19 - Ricky Pierce jumper
8:35 - Ricky Pierce baseline jumper
8:43 - Ricky Pierce outside jumper
9:12 - Pippen outside jumper
10:15 - Randy Breuer hook shot
10:30 - Jeff Grayer transition layup
11:00 - Sidney Moncrief driving layup
11:15 - Pippen lefty layup and 1
11:44 - Terry Cummings pull up jumper
12:30 - Jay Humphries outside jumper
12:38 - Sidney Moncrief frantic defense on Michael Jordan
13:19 - Jay Humphries transition layup and 1
15:18 - Doug Collins ejected from the game
16:18 - Phil Jackson takes over coaching duties
17:40 - Michael Jordan driving layup and 1
18:44 - Michael Jordan baseline driving layup
19:13 - Jay Humphries transition layup and 1
19:48 - Sidney Moncrief running hook
20:50 - Michael Jordan baseline pull up jumper over Jack Sikma
21:28 - Terry Cummings fadeaway jumper
23:54 - Del Harris gets ejected from the game
25:00 - Michael Jordan blocks Jack Sikma
26:26 - Michael Jordan bank shot
26:45 - Jack Sikma lefty runner
27:09 - Grant jumper
27:28 - Jay Humphries driving layup
28:25 - Jeff Grayer pull up jumper
28:49 - Michael Jordan baseline jumper
29:05 - Sidney Moncrief driving layup
29:15 - Michael Jordan jumper
29:26 - Michael Jordan pull up jumper
29:50 - Larry Krystkowiak jumper
30:02 - Michael Jordan corner jumper
30:58 - Michael Jordan dunk vs zone defense
32:15 - Michael Jordan steal
32:36 - Michael Jordan layup and 1

[@dwilliams8151]

Real pro bball
Adam silver and Lebron James destroyed pro bball
This was great and better than any of the nba bull shit you see today…

[@MicroWave233]

I guess the one thing that never changed about the nba is how incompetent the refs could be 😂

[@venomj8179]

lol agreed but the refs todays are completely incompetent they don't' even call carries or travels anymore they let superstars players get away with murder out there on that court.

[@kaisaafegogo2231]

👊😎

[@dwilliams8151]

That was great
Jordan was phenomenal
And Terry Cummings, Sidney moncrife, and Jeff Grayer were great for Milwaukee!!!!!!!