NBA star Bam Adebayo delivered one of the greatest scoring performances the league has ever seen after pouring in 83 points for the Miami Heat in a 150 to 129 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
The total now stands as the second highest single game scoring performance in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game in 1962 ranks higher. Adebayo’s 83 points move past Kobe Bryant’s 81 point performance in 2006 and place the Miami center among the most iconic scoring nights the sport has ever produced.
Adebayo took control from the opening minutes and never slowed down. He scored 31 points in the first quarter and reached 43 by halftime. By the end of the third quarter he had already piled up 62 points, breaking the Miami Heat single game scoring record of 61 set by LeBron James on March 3, 2014.
Washington repeatedly sent extra defenders in an attempt to slow him down, but the effort had little effect. Adebayo continued attacking the basket and drew fouls throughout the night, turning the free throw line into a steady scoring engine as Miami pulled away.
His final stat line reflected the scale of the performance. Adebayo finished with 83 points while shooting 20 of 43 from the field. He converted 36 of 43 free throws and added seven three pointers. The free throw totals set new NBA single game records for both attempts and makes.
Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra summed up the night after the game.
“An absolutely surreal night,” Spoelstra said.
The performance also shattered several milestones for the Heat franchise. Adebayo’s 31 point opening quarter became the highest scoring quarter by a Miami player. His 83 point explosion now stands as the highest scoring game in franchise history.
The previous highest scoring performance in the league this season had been 56 points by Denver’s Nikola Jokic. Adebayo pushed far beyond that mark while rewriting both franchise and league record books in a single game.
After the final buzzer, emotion took over. Adebayo embraced his mother, Marilyn Blount, and left the floor in tears following the historic performance.
For one night in Miami, the NBA record book changed. The list that once read Wilt and Kobe now reads Wilt and Bam.
