The date was March 28, 1990. The building was Richfield Coliseum. Michael Jordan walked in on a regular season night and turned it into a story we still tell. The Bulls beat the Cavaliers 117 to 113 in overtime. Jordan scored 69. He grabbed 18 rebounds. He added 6 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. It was power and control in every quarter.
He shot 23 of 37 from the field, he hit 21 of 23 free throws. He even made 2 threes. The scoring came in waves. Sixteen in the first. Fifteen in the second. Twenty in the third. Ten in the fourth. Eight more in overtime. Every touch felt heavy. Every look felt certain.
The stage and the stakes
Cleveland thought it had an answer. Craig Ehlo chased. Larry Nance rose to contest. The building pushed the Cavs back into the game and forced overtime. Jordan did not blink. He carried Chicago through contact and noise. He won it late with calm free throws and one more pull up that quieted everything.
This was not only a scoring rush. It was complete control of the glass. Eighteen rebounds from a guard is rare. It tells the full story. He did not wait for the ball. He went and took it. The Cavs had no clean second chances. The Bulls got extra life because he wanted it more.
“This would have to be it. Everything seemed to fall and I found myself in a great rhythm.”
How the numbers became a legend
The box score is clean and ruthless. Fifty minutes played. Sixty nine points. Twenty three makes on thirty seven tries. Twenty one free throws made on twenty three attempts. It was force with perfect touch. It was patience too. He took what the defense gave, then took more.
He scored from everywhere. Turnarounds on the left block. Drives that split help. Pull ups at the nail. When Cleveland packed the lane he lived at the line. When they chased over screens he rose and hit. It felt like he decided the result early and then spent the night proving it.
The moment that lives on
Ask Bulls fans to name a regular season game that felt like June. They point here. It is the night that shows the full Jordan package. Scoring, defense, boards, will. It came one year after The Shot in the same building. It reads like a sequel with louder sound. The tape still chills. The numbers still sting.
Stacey King had the best joke. He said he would always remember the night he and Michael combined for 70. One for King. Sixty nine for Jordan. The line still makes people smile. It fits the vibe of this game. Awe with a touch of humor because you cannot believe what you just saw.
