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Bam Adebayo Eclipses Kobe Bryant With 83-Point Game, Second-Highest Total in NBA History

Adebayo was absolutely unstoppable early in Tuesday’s Heat game against Washington.
Dan Lyons|
Heat center Bam Adebayo outscored the Wizards 31–29 in the first quarter.
Heat center Bam Adebayo outscored the Wizards 31–29 in the first quarter. | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

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Miami HeatWashington Wizards

Heat center Bam Adebayo had a game for the ages, on Tuesday night, one that leaves him with just one name ahead of him in the NBA record books for the most points scored in a single game: Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points on March 2, 1962. By knocking down a pair of free throws with 1:16 remaining in the game, he broke a tie with the great Kobe Bryant for second place.

Adebayo scored an astounding 83 points in a 150–129 Miami win against the Wizards. His final statline: 83 points on 20-of-43 shooting from the floor, 7-for-22 from three, and 36-for-43 from the free throw line. His last seven points all came at the stripe and he attempted 16 fourth-quarter free throws. He added nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

“I appreciate y’all, man,” Adebayo said to his teammates, after they doused him with water, calling them a second family. “Like I said, I couldn’t do it without them. Somebody had to pass me the ball. I appreciate coach [Erik Spoelstra] for drawing up plays for me and I got it going tonight.”

He started out on a historic pace, scoring a franchise record 31 first-quarter points and 43 in the first half. According to StatMuse, Adebayo’s previous single-quarter high was 19 points in a 2021 game against the Clippers. He also smashed his career high for points in a half, which was 27 points in a ‘24 game against the Pacers. His previous full-game high was 41 points, against the Nets in a 2021 game.

Nikola Jokić’s Christmas Day 56-point triple-double for the Nuggets against the Timberwolves was the highest scoring game by any NBA player so far this season, until Adebayo bested it on Tuesday night.

After the game, Adebayo recreated Chamberlain’s iconic photo from after the 100-point game in the locker room:

Adebayo did not only make personal history, but took a sledgehammer to the Heat franchise record book in the first half.

Bam Adebayo broke LeBron James’s record for most points in a quarter by a Heat player—his first record of the night.

LeBron James was on a tear in March 2014, and twice scored 25 points in a quarter for Miami—in the third quarter of a 124–107 win over the Hornets on March 3 and again in the first quarter 15 days later against his former and future team, the Cavaliers, in a 100–96 win. Adebayo’s electric first quarter on Tuesday breaks James’s Heat record by six points.

James finished with 61 in the game against Charlotte, which remains his career high. Now, he’s been bested by 22 points to set what looks like a potentially unreachable franchise record.

Adebayo also set an NBA record for free throw attempts in a game

With 43 free throws, Adebayo beat Dwight Howard’s single-game record, which he hit twice—once with the Magic against the Warriors in 2012, and again with the Lakers against Orlando the following season.

Howard didn’t even come close to touching Adebayo’s scoring output in those games, finishing with 45 points in the 2012 outing, and 39 points in the ‘13 game for the Lakers.

Andre Drummond (36 in 2016 for the Pistons), Chamberlain (34 in 1962 for the Philadelphia Warriors) and DeAndre Jordan (34 in a 2015 game for the Clippers) round out the top five.

What’s at stake for Miami

At 36–29, the Heat are virtually deadlocked with the Magic for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, the final team to avoid the play-in tournament. Orlando is 35–28, and has a slight edge by win percentage. The Magic next play on Wednesday against the Bucks.

If Miami holds on, they’ll score their sixth consecutive win. The Hawks have won six straight and are en route to a seventh consecutive win as they lead the Mavericks 87–74 late in the third quarter as of publication. The Spurs have also won six straight, but trail the Celtics in the second quarter on Tuesday in what is probably the best game of the night in the NBA.

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Dan Lyons
DAN LYONS

Dan Lyons is a staff writer and editor on Sports Illustrated's Breaking and Trending News team. He joined SI for his second stint in November 2024 after a stint as a senior college football writer at Athlon Sports, and a previous run with SI spanning multiple years as a writer and editor. Outside of sports, you can find Dan at an indie concert venue or movie theater.

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