Bucks Zone

Former Milwaukee Buck is the only guy to outscore Michael Jordan in a playoff series

Terry Cummings outscored MJ by 0.2 points in their 1985 first-round matchup.
© Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

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Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all-time, mostly thanks to his incredible playoff performances and 6-0 Finals record. The list of players that can say they got the better of MJ in the postseason is short. But former Milwaukee Buck can say that he is the only guy in history that managed to outscore Jordan in a playoff series.

Getting the best of the GOAT

Back in 1985, Michael Jordan was a 22-year-old rookie trying to make a name for himself in the NBA and prove he could become one of the best. Coming off his Rookie of The Year campaign, where he averaged 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.6 assists, MJ was set to face the Milwaukee Bucks in his first-ever postseason appearance.

The Bucks, led by the member of the 1984-85 All-defensive 1st team Sidney Moncrief and Terry Cummings, were the heavy favorites coming into their first-round matchup against the Chicago Bulls. And although they did a great job of making Michael work for every basket, he still averaged 29.3 points per game on 43.5% from the floor.

However, the Bulls posed no threat to Milwaukee, as they closed out the series in four games.

"The Preacher"

MJ put up great numbers for a rookie playing in his postseason debut. However, he got outplayed by the 6'9'' forward Terry Cummings, who averaged 29.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while shooting an astonishing 63.3% from the floor. 

It was the first of 37 playoff series in Michael Jordan's career, and it ended up being the only one in which an opposing player averaged more points than the Bulls legend. 

Although Milwaukee eliminated Chicago, led by an NBA superstar in the making, they were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the next round. 


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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.