Jordan’s Flu Game
38 points on death’s door.
The Situation
Series tied 2-2. Bulls won Games 1-2 in Chicago, Jazz took 3-4 at home.
The Stakes
Winner takes a 3-2 lead with Game 6 back in Chicago. Loser faces elimination on the road.
Setting the Scene
Jordan woke up at 2:30 AM violently ill. Room service pizza the night before — food poisoning, or the flu, depending who you ask. His trainer Tim Grover found him curled in the fetal position. The Bulls medical staff told Phil Jackson that Jordan might not play. Jordan told them all the same thing: "I'm playing."
Michael Jordan's Stat Line
38
PTS
7
REB
5
AST
3
STL
44
MIN
Michael Jordan was 34 years old.
How It Happened
Jordan hits a mid-range jumper on his first possession. He looks pale but locked in.
Sets the tone — he's not sitting out.
Jordan drives baseline and finishes through Bryon Russell. Stumbles back on defense, visibly dehydrated.
Bulls take a 6-point lead into half.
Jordan hits back-to-back jumpers. The Jazz crowd is stunned silent — he looks like he can barely stand between possessions.
Bulls extend lead to 10.
Jazz go on a 12-2 run. Stockton and Malone exploit Jordan's weakened defense. Lead cut to 2.
Momentum shifts. The Delta Center erupts.
Jordan hits a contested pull-up three over Byron Russell. The shot that defines the game.
Bulls go up 88-85. The building goes silent.
Jordan hits the go-ahead three-pointer to put Bulls up 90-88. Collapses into Scottie Pippen's arms at the final buzzer.
The iconic image — Pippen holding Jordan upright. Game over. Series lead.
The Moment
With 25 seconds left and the score tied 88-85, Jordan pulled up from three over Byron Russell. Nothing but net. The Delta Center went dead silent. When the final buzzer sounded, Jordan collapsed into Scottie Pippen's arms — the most iconic image of exhaustion and triumph in NBA history. He could barely walk. He'd just dropped 38.
The Call
“Jordan... for three... YES! And the Bulls take a three-two lead!”
— Marv Albert, NBC
What They Said
“That was probably the most courageous performance I've ever seen from Michael. He could barely stand. I don't know how he did it.”
“I respect what he did. I don't care if he was sick, hurt, whatever — he went out there and beat us. That's Michael.”
“I told Michael before the game that we'd find a way without him if we had to. He looked at me like I'd said something offensive.”
“When I walked in that room and saw him, I thought there was no way. No way he plays. I was wrong. I've never been more wrong about anything.”
By The Numbers
38
Points scored while sick
More than any healthy player on either team
44
Minutes played
Out of 48. Rested exactly 4 minutes.
48.1%
Field goal percentage
13-27 shooting while barely able to stand
90%
Free throw percentage
9-10 from the line. The hand was steady.
+7
Plus/minus in 4th quarter
Outscored Jazz by himself in the final 12 minutes
~2
Hours of sleep the night before
Vomiting from 2:30 AM until morning shootaround
What Happened Next
The Bulls would close it out in Game 6 back in Chicago. Jordan's fifth championship. The Flu Game became the standard against which every "tough" performance is measured. Every athlete who plays through illness is compared to this. None of them measure up.
Why It Matters
The Flu Game transcended basketball. It became a cultural shorthand for performing under impossible conditions. "Jordan played with the flu" is referenced in boardrooms, locker rooms, and living rooms worldwide. It reinforced the mythology: Jordan wasn't just talented — he was superhuman. The image of Pippen carrying Jordan off the court is one of the five most iconic photographs in sports history.