Bam Adebayo pours in 83 points, trails only Wilt Chamberlain on NBA single-game list
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MIAMI — March 10, 2026 — Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo delivered one of the most prolific scoring performances in league history on Tuesday, erupting for 83 points in a 150-129 victory over the Washington Wizards.
The total is the second-highest ever recorded in an NBA game, exceeded only by Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point night in 1962. Adebayo also established single-game league records for free throws made and attempted, finishing 36-for-43 at the line.
Fast start, relentless finish
Adebayo opened with 31 points in the first quarter, breaking the Heat mark for any period. He had 43 by halftime, setting a franchise record for points in a half and already surpassing his previous career best of 41 set on Jan. 23, 2021, against Brooklyn.
The 27-year-old reached 62 points with a dunk 22 seconds before the end of the third quarter, eclipsing LeBron James’ club record of 61 set on March 3, 2014. By the final horn he had hit 20 of 43 shots from the field and 7 of 22 from beyond the arc.
Context among the greats
Adebayo is the first player since Kobe Bryant to score at least 62 through three quarters; Bryant had the same total on Dec. 20, 2005, for the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant’s 81-point outing in 2006 had stood as the No. 2 game on the NBA list until Tuesday.
The previous top performance this season was Nikola Jokić’s 56 on Christmas night against Minnesota.
Reactions on and off the court
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called it “an absolutely surreal night.” Adebayo left the floor in tears after embracing his mother, Marilyn Blount. His girlfriend, four-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson, wrote on social media: “Welp won’t have the highest career high in the house anymore, but at least it gives me something to go after.”
Adebayo’s season high entering the game was 32 points. Miami improved to 150-129 on the evening, while Washington was unable to contain the All-Star despite deploying double-, triple- and even apparent quadruple-teams that repeatedly sent him to the stripe.
Source: ESPN
