Head-to-Head: Games Played Between Larry Bird and Magic Johnson

This is the detail of NBA games in which Larry Bird and Magic Johnson played against each other, including head-to-head record, stats average, game highs and game-by-game data both in the Regular Season and Playoffs.

They faced each other a total of 37 times in NBA games. Magic Johnson has a 22-15 winning record over Larry Bird, including an 11-8 record in Playoffs.

Games Played Against Each Other

Larry Bird

vs.

Magic Johnson


NBA Timeline:	1946-47 2023-24
Larry Bird: 1979-80 to 1991-92
Magic Johnson: 1979-80 to 1995-96

37 Games played

18 in Regular Season

19 in Playoffs

Summary of Victories

	Games Won	in Regular Season	in Playoffs
Larry Bird	15	7	8
Magic Johnson	22	11	11

Stats in Games Between Them

Averages
Player	Points	Rebounds	Assists
Larry Bird	23.5	11.0	5.4
Magic Johnson	20.1	7.2	12.5

Game Highs
Player	Points	Rebounds	Assists
Larry Bird	35	21	11
Magic Johnson	39	13	21

Games with better stats than the other player...
Player	Points	Rebounds	Assists
Larry Bird	23 games	28 games	3 games
Magic Johnson	11 games	7 games	34 games
Both had same stat	3 games	2 games	0 games

Head To Head Games Played: One by One

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1979-80 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Dec. 28, 1979
1.	Celtics	105	Larry Bird	16	4	3	4	0	2	5	40	7-15	.467	0-0	-	2-3	.667
	Lakers	123	Magic Johnson	23	8	6	4	0	7	4	40	7-14	.500	0-0	-	9-10	.900
	Jan. 13, 1980
2.	Celtics	98	Larry Bird	14	12	1	1	3	3	4	36	7-10	.700	0-1	.000	0-0	-
	Lakers	100	Magic Johnson	1	3	2	2	0	3	1	21	0-2	.000	0-0	-	1-2	.500


1981-82 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Feb. 14, 1982
3.	Celtics	108	Larry Bird	12	9	9				2	43	4-11	.364	0-1	.000	4-5	.800
	Lakers	103	Magic Johnson	19	10	8				4	39	6-11	.545	0-2	.000	7-9	.778


1982-83 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Jan. 30, 1983
4.	Celtics	110	Larry Bird	21	13	8	5	0	1	3	43	9-22	.409	0-0	-	3-3	1.000
	Lakers	95	Magic Johnson	14	9	10	2	1	8	1	42	5-10	.500	0-0	-	4-4	1.000
	Feb. 23, 1983
5.	Celtics	113	Larry Bird	32	17	9	4	0	3	3	46	13-23	.565	2-3	.667	4-6	.667
	Lakers	104	Magic Johnson	20	13	10	2	1	6	3	46	9-21	.429	0-1	.000	2-3	.667


1983-84 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Feb. 08, 1984
6.	Celtics	109	Larry Bird	29	11	7	0	0	1	3	42	12-19	.632	0-0	-	5-5	1.000
	Lakers	111	Magic Johnson	20	8	10	6	0	5	1	43	9-13	.692	0-0	-	2-2	1.000
	Feb. 24, 1984
7.	Celtics	108	Larry Bird	14	11	5	0	3	1	3	39	6-12	.500	0-0	-	2-2	1.000
	Lakers	116	Magic Johnson	9	8	18	3	1	5	2	40	4-11	.364	0-1	.000	1-2	.500


1984 Playoffs - NBA Finals
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	May. 27, 1984
8.	Celtics	109	Larry Bird	24	14	5	3	0	6	4	42	7-17	.412	1-1	1.000	9-11	.818
	Lakers	115	Magic Johnson	18	6	10	4	0	3	5	38	7-11	.636	0-1	.000	4-4	1.000
	May. 31, 1984
9.	Celtics	124	Larry Bird	27	13	3	1	2	3	4	49	8-22	.364	0-0	-	11-15	.733
OT	Lakers	121	Magic Johnson	27	10	9	0	1	4	5	46	10-14	.714	0-0	-	7-7	1.000
	Jun. 03, 1984
10.	Celtics	104	Larry Bird	30	7	2	3	1	2	3	38	9-16	.563	0-0	-	12-15	.800
	Lakers	137	Magic Johnson	14	11	21	1	1	2	3	39	4-6	.667	0-0	-	6-10	.600
	Jun. 06, 1984
11.	Celtics	129	Larry Bird	29	21	2	3	0	3	4	49	9-24	.375	1-3	.333	10-10	1.000
OT	Lakers	125	Magic Johnson	20	11	17	2	0	7	5	49	8-12	.667	0-0	-	4-7	.571
	Jun. 08, 1984
12.	Celtics	121	Larry Bird	34	17	2	2	1	5	4	42	15-20	.750	2-2	1.000	2-4	.500
	Lakers	103	Magic Johnson	10	5	13	2	2	4	2	39	3-9	.333	0-0	-	4-6	.667
	Jun. 10, 1984
13.	Celtics	108	Larry Bird	28	14	8	1	3	4	4	47	8-11	.727	0-0	-	12-13	.923
	Lakers	119	Magic Johnson	21	6	10	1	0	4	3	41	10-18	.556	0-0	-	1-2	.500
	Jun. 12, 1984
14.	Celtics	111	Larry Bird	20	12	3	2	1	2	1	38	6-18	.333	0-0	-	8-8	1.000
	Lakers	102	Magic Johnson	16	5	15	4	2	7	5	43	5-14	.357	0-0	-	6-7	.857


1984-85 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Jan. 16, 1985
15.	Celtics	104	Larry Bird	19	11	7	1	0	3	3	41	9-16	.563	0-0	-	1-1	1.000
	Lakers	102	Magic Johnson	8	7	13	2	0	3	0	39	4-11	.364	0-1	.000	0-0	-
	Feb. 17, 1985
16.	Celtics	111	Larry Bird	33	15	3	3	0	3	4	42	14-22	.636	1-3	.333	4-5	.800
	Lakers	117	Magic Johnson	37	3	13	2	0	5	1	42	10-16	.625	0-0	-	17-19	.895


1985 Playoffs - NBA Finals
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	May. 27, 1985
17.	Celtics	148	Larry Bird	19	6	9	3	0	3	1	31	8-14	.571	1-2	.500	2-2	1.000
	Lakers	114	Magic Johnson	19	1	12	3	0	2	2	34	8-14	.571	0-0	-	3-4	.750
	May. 30, 1985
18.	Celtics	102	Larry Bird	30	12	3	2	2	5	2	41	9-21	.429	1-3	.333	11-11	1.000
	Lakers	109	Magic Johnson	14	4	13	3	0	7	3	41	6-9	.667	0-0	-	2-4	.500
	Jun. 02, 1985
19.	Celtics	111	Larry Bird	20	7	3	1	0	2	1	35	8-21	.381	0-0	-	4-5	.800
	Lakers	136	Magic Johnson	17	9	16	2	0	1	2	39	6-13	.462	1-2	.500	4-4	1.000
	Jun. 05, 1985
20.	Celtics	107	Larry Bird	26	11	5	3	1	1	4	43	8-16	.500	0-0	-	10-12	.833
	Lakers	105	Magic Johnson	20	11	12	2	0	4	3	43	5-12	.417	0-0	-	10-11	.909
	Jun. 07, 1985
21.	Celtics	111	Larry Bird	20	7	7	1	1	0	3	44	8-17	.471	1-2	.500	3-5	.600
	Lakers	120	Magic Johnson	26	6	17	2	0	2	1	42	11-20	.550	0-0	-	4-4	1.000
	Jun. 09, 1985
22.	Celtics	100	Larry Bird	28	10	3	1	0	2	3	47	12-29	.414	0-2	.000	4-5	.800
	Lakers	111	Magic Johnson	14	10	14	1	0	4	5	36	5-15	.333	0-0	-	4-4	1.000


1985-86 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Jan. 22, 1986
23.	Celtics	110	Larry Bird	21	12	7	3	0	4	2	38	8-16	.500	1-1	1.000	4-4	1.000
	Lakers	95	Magic Johnson	15	1	6	3	0	0	3	27	6-10	.600	0-0	-	3-3	1.000
	Feb. 16, 1986
24.	Celtics	105	Larry Bird	22	18	7	0	0	2	4	43	7-17	.412	0-1	.000	8-12	.667
	Lakers	99	Magic Johnson	6	6	12	2	0	4	1	38	0-4	.000	0-0	-	6-6	1.000


1986-87 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Dec. 12, 1986
25.	Celtics	110	Larry Bird	26	3	6	0	1	2	1	43	11-13	.846	1-1	1.000	3-3	1.000
	Lakers	117	Magic Johnson	31	7	8	2	1	2	2	42	13-25	.520	0-0	-	5-7	.714
	Feb. 15, 1987
26.	Celtics	103	Larry Bird	20	5	7	1	2	3	2	43	7-12	.583	1-2	.500	5-7	.714
	Lakers	106	Magic Johnson	39	7	10	2	0	4	4	45	12-20	.600	1-1	1.000	14-15	.933


1987 Playoffs - NBA Finals
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Jun. 02, 1987
27.	Celtics	113	Larry Bird	32	7	6	1	0	0	0	42	14-25	.560	0-0	-	4-4	1.000
	Lakers	126	Magic Johnson	29	8	13	2	1	0	2	39	13-25	.520	0-0	-	3-3	1.000
	Jun. 04, 1987
28.	Celtics	122	Larry Bird	23	10	4	1	1	3	1	36	9-17	.529	1-1	1.000	4-5	.800
	Lakers	141	Magic Johnson	22	5	20	3	0	2	2	31	10-17	.588	0-0	-	2-2	1.000
	Jun. 07, 1987
29.	Celtics	109	Larry Bird	30	12	4	0	1	4	2	44	10-24	.417	0-1	.000	10-11	.909
	Lakers	103	Magic Johnson	32	11	9	1	0	1	0	43	12-18	.667	0-0	-	8-8	1.000
	Jun. 09, 1987
30.	Celtics	106	Larry Bird	21	10	7	1	2	5	3	47	7-19	.368	2-3	.667	5-5	1.000
	Lakers	107	Magic Johnson	29	8	5	1	0	5	0	41	12-20	.600	0-0	-	5-6	.833
	Jun. 11, 1987
31.	Celtics	123	Larry Bird	23	12	7	2	1	2	2	44	7-18	.389	1-2	.500	8-9	.889
	Lakers	108	Magic Johnson	29	8	12	4	0	2	4	40	12-21	.571	1-1	1.000	4-4	1.000
	Jun. 14, 1987
32.	Celtics	93	Larry Bird	16	9	5	2	2	4	1	41	6-16	.375	0-1	.000	4-4	1.000
	Lakers	106	Magic Johnson	16	8	19	3	1	3	2	42	7-21	.333	0-1	.000	2-2	1.000


1987-88 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Dec. 11, 1987
33.	Celtics	114	Larry Bird	35	9	8	5	2	1	3	43	14-26	.538	1-1	1.000	6-8	.750
	Lakers	115	Magic Johnson	18	8	17	2	0	4	3	44	6-11	.545	1-1	1.000	5-6	.833
	Feb. 14, 1988
34.	Celtics	106	Larry Bird	25	17	4	0	1	5	2	40	8-22	.364	0-0	-	9-11	.818
	Lakers	115	Magic Johnson	22	5	14	3	0	3	1	42	9-19	.474	0-1	.000	4-7	.571


1989-90 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Dec. 15, 1989
35.	Celtics	110	Larry Bird	21	12	2	3	0	5	3	43	9-27	.333	1-2	.500	2-2	1.000
	Lakers	119	Magic Johnson	16	6	21	6	0	3	0	43	4-12	.333	0-1	.000	8-8	1.000
	Feb. 18, 1990
36.	Celtics	110	Larry Bird	20	7	7	1	0	4	2	46	9-17	.529	0-0	-	2-2	1.000
	Lakers	116	Magic Johnson	30	4	13	1	0	4	2	38	10-21	.476	3-6	.500	7-7	1.000


1990-91 Season
Game			Player	Pts	Reb	Ast	Stl	Blk	TO	PF	Min	FG	%	3PT	%	FT	%
	Feb. 15, 1991
37.	Celtics	98	Larry Bird	11	11	11	2	0	2	1	40	4-16	.250	1-3	.333	2-2	1.000
	Lakers	85	Magic Johnson	21	9	16	1	1	2	1	41	7-13	.538	1-4	.250	6-8	.750