Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo delivered a historic performance, scoring 83 points to lead his team to a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. The outburst surpassed Kobe Bryant's 81-point game and stands as the second-highest single-game total in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain's 100. Adebayo set NBA records with 36 made free throws and 43 attempts from the line.
Bam Adebayo etched his name into NBA lore during the Miami Heat's home game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center. Entering the matchup with a season average of 18.9 points, the three-time All-Star exploded for 83 points on 20-of-43 shooting from the field, 7-of-22 from three-point range, and a record-setting 36-of-43 from the free-throw line. His performance broke the previous NBA marks for free throws made (28, shared by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley) and attempted (39, by Dwight Howard twice).
Adebayo tallied 31 points in the first quarter, including five three-pointers, surpassing the Heat's single-quarter record previously held by LeBron James. By halftime, he had 43 points, doubling his prior career high of 41 set in 2021. He reached 62 points by the end of the third quarter, breaking James' franchise single-game record of 61 from 2014 and tying Bryant's play-by-play era mark through three quarters.
In the fourth, Adebayo added 21 more points, including 14-of-16 free throws, to pass Bryant's 81 with 1:16 remaining. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra kept him in despite a growing lead, stating, "This was just an absolutely surreal night... Moments happen, and I'm grateful that we're all able to be a part of it." The Heat, missing Tyler Herro, Andrew Wiggins, Norman Powell, and Nikola Jovic, improved to 37-29 with their sixth straight win.
For the Wizards, who fell to 16-48 and have lost nine in a row, Alex Sarr scored 28 points in limited minutes. Coach Brian Keefe noted the physical toll, saying, "There was a lot of fouls called, 16 free throws in the fourth quarter." Adebayo, reflecting on surpassing his idol Bryant, said, "To be 83 and passing [Bryant]... He’ll probably say, ‘Go do it again.’ Just a surreal moment."
NBA stars reacted on social media: LeBron James posted "BAM BAM BAM," while Dwyane Wade wrote "83 for CAP." Kevin Durant praised Adebayo's stamina, adding, "Congratulations to Bam. I know how much work he puts in." This marked the 11th 70-point game in league history, the first since Luka Dončić's 73 in 2024.
