Bam Adebayo pours in 83 points, second-highest game in NBA history
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Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo erupted for 83 points on Tuesday night, powering Miami to a 150-129 victory over the Washington Wizards and delivering the second-largest single-game scoring total the league has ever seen.
Historic totals
The 26-year-old surpassed Kobe Bryant’s famed 81-point outing from Jan. 22, 2006, leaving only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point benchmark from 1962 ahead of him in the record book.
Adebayo’s box score was staggering: 83 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. He shot 20-for-43 from the field, knocked down 7-of-22 attempts from beyond the arc and converted an NBA-record 36 of 43 free throws.
Franchise and league records
- Most free throws made (36) and attempted (43) in any NBA game.
- Heat records for points in a quarter (31), half (43) and full game (83).
- First Heat player to attempt at least 40 field goals.
- Joined Chamberlain as the only players with 20 made field goals and 25 made free throws in the same contest.
- Became the first player ever to combine 25 made free throws with five made three-pointers.
How the night unfolded
Adebayo opened with 31 points in the first quarter, the league’s highest first-period total since Kevin Love’s 34 in 2016. By halftime he sat at 43 points, already eclipsing his previous career high of 41. He reached 62 points after three quarters, matching a mark last achieved by Bryant in December 2005.
Context around the league
Adebayo is the 11th player in NBA history to notch at least 70 points and the first to top 60 this season. His explosion raises the season total to 12 different players with 50-point games; the single-season record is 14, set in 2021-22 and matched in 2022-23.
The Heat’s previous single-game scoring record belonged to LeBron James, who posted 61 against the Charlotte Bobcats on March 3, 2014. Adebayo shattered that mark exactly 12 years and one week later.
Miami improved to 40-23 with the win, while Washington fell to 18-45.
Source: ESPN
