Bam Adebayo delivered a historic performance on Tuesday night, rewriting the record books as the Miami Heat cruised to a 150–129 victory over the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center.
The Heat star exploded for 83 points, the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s legendary 81-point performance. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s iconic 100-point game remains ahead of him on the all-time list.
Adebayo set the tone immediately with a 31-point first quarter, outscoring the entire Wizards team, which managed just 29 points in the period. By halftime, he had already piled up 43 points, establishing a new Heat franchise record for points in a half. His scoring barrage continued into the third quarter, where he pushed his total to 62 points, surpassing LeBron James’ previous Miami franchise record of 61 in a single game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo on Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point Game
The Heat center finished 20-of-43 from the field and hit 7-of-22 from beyond the arc. However, the most remarkable part of his performance came at the free-throw line. Faced with constant double and triple teams, Washington repeatedly resorted to fouling him.
Adebayo capitalized by setting two new NBA single-game records: 36 free throws made and 43 free throws attempted. He surpassed the record previously held by Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley for makes and by Dwight Howard for attempts.
Many critics argue that Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game was better than this because the Black Mamba threw fewer free throws. The Milwaukee Bucks’ power forward, Giannis Antetokounmpo, shut the narrative.
“83, incredible. Speaks volumes to his hard work,” Antetokounmpo said. “It doesn’t matter how you get there. All that matters is that you got it. Like in 30 years from now, nobody’s going to remember how many free throws he shot.”
“I don’t think I remember how many shots Kobe had or how many free throws he made or threes. All you remember is 81. Wilt, 100. You don’t remember how they scored. So, at the end of the day, he got 83 points.”
Bam Adebayo Makes History
The historic night also placed Adebayo in elite company. He became just the fourth center in NBA history to score 70 or more points, joining Chamberlain, David Robinson, and Joel Embiid.
Adebayo’s final stat line read 83 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, capping off one of the most dominant individual performances the league has ever seen.
