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.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Games against each other

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
2024-25
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
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