Swarming Pistons Defense Keeps Michael Jordan in Check (7-of-22 from the field)

March 13, 1987 - This nine-day stretch of the 1986-87 regular season was the tale of two extremes. On March 4, Michael Jordan rolled into the Pontiac Silverdome and hung a casual 61-spot on the Pistons in a 125-120 overtime win. For the rematch, however, Detroit seemed to have an answer—which was to swarm Jordan with a multitude of defenders and hope for one of two possible outcomes: 1. Jordan fires at will anyway 2. Jordan is forced to utilize his meager supporting cast In the end, both elements came to fruition, with Jordan continuously attempting high difficulty shots through heavy defensive contests while his teammates did what they could to keep the Bulls afloat. And, odd as it may sound, it was performances like John Paxson's 8-of-11 night and Charles Oakley's 16 points and 12 rebounds that secured a double-digit lead for the Bulls throughout much of the evening. As Detroit tightened their vice grip down the stretch, Chicago saw their lead dissipate, until it was up to Jordan to save the day, as he so often would. Alas, as with the majority of his attempts on this particular night, his final shot went begging, delivering the Pistons a thrilling 100-99 road victory. Jordan finished with 24 points in all—10 points below his season average—while shooting just 7-of-22 from the field. Box Score: https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/198703130CHI.html