‘The Last Dance’ Redux: Michael Jordan Has Highest-Scoring Game of the Entire Year in a Double-OT Win Over the Clippers
A night after suffering a four-point loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Chicago Bulls continued their “Last Dance” campaign with what should have been an easy game against the lowly LA Clippers, who entered the November 21, 1997, matchup with a dismal 1-10 record.
But the two-time defending NBA champions got more than they bargained for as it took two overtimes and a monster night from Michael Jordan to come away with a 111-102 victory.
Jordan scored 49 points, which would turn out to be his highest-scoring game of the entire season, shooting 18-for-38 from the floor and 13-for-19 from the foul line. But MJ wasn’t the only Bull to have a big night. What often gets lost when this game is discussed is the fact that Luc Longley posted 22 points and 17 rebounds. Dennis Rodman also had a double-double with 10 points and 14 boards.
Lamond Murray led four Clippers in double figures with 24 points. Brent Barry kicked in 17, and Lorenzen Wright added 16. Former Michigan standout Maurice Taylor had the best game of his rookie season to that point, with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
| Bulls | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Jordan | 49 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
| Luc Longley | 22 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Dennis Rodman | 10 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Toni Kukoc | 14 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Ron Harper | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Rusty LaRue | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Randy Brown | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Scott Burrell | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Bill Wennington | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jason Caffey | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jud Buechler | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clippers | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lorenzen Wright | 16 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Lamond Murray | 24 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Pooh Richardson | 8 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Brent Barry | 17 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rodney Rogers | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Maurice Taylor | 16 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Eric Piatkowski | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| James Robinson | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darrick Martin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keith Closs | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Here’s a look at the NBA standings following all the action on November 21, 1997.
| Eastern Conference | W | L |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Hawks | 11 | 1 |
| Charlotte Hornets | 7 | 3 |
| New York Knicks | 8 | 4 |
| Miami Heat | 7 | 4 |
| Orlando Magic | 7 | 4 |
| New Jersey Nets | 6 | 4 |
| Chicago Bulls | 7 | 5 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 6 | 5 |
| Boston Celtics | 6 | 6 |
| Indiana Pacers | 5 | 5 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 5 | 6 |
| Detroit Pistons | 4 | 8 |
| Washington Wizards | 4 | 8 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 3 | 6 |
| Toronto Raptors | 1 | 10 |
| Western Conference | W | L |
|---|---|---|
| LA Lakers | 10 | 0 |
| Phoenix Suns | 7 | 2 |
| Seattle Supersonics | 9 | 3 |
| Portland Trailblazers | 8 | 3 |
| San Antonio Spurs | 7 | 4 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 6 | 5 |
| Houston Rockets | 5 | 5 |
| Vancouver Grizzlies | 6 | 7 |
| Utah Jazz | 5 | 6 |
| Sacramento Kings | 4 | 7 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 3 | 8 |
| Golden State Warriors | 1 | 9 |
| LA Clippers | 1 | 11 |
| Denver Nuggets | 0 | 10 |
You may remember this game from The Last Dance documentary, as it was one of a few that were mentioned to showcase the Bulls’ slow start to the 1997-98 season. And this was a win. But more losses were in store for Chicago as Jordan & Co. continued this seven-game road trip.
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