Bam Adebayo Scores 83 Points, Passes Kobe for Second-Most in One Game

Image Courtesy of Yahoo Sports.

By Sam Bergstrom 

On Tuesday, March 10, Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo torched the Washington Wizards in a performance for the ages, scoring 83 points. His 83-point outburst is now the second-most points ever scored in an NBA game. Adebayo became just the third player in NBA history to score at least 80 points in a game, joining Kobe Bryant and Wilt Chamberlain. He notably surpassed Bryant’s 81-point performance from 2006. 

In the first quarter, Adebayo posted 31 points on 10-16 shooting; he outscored the entire Wizards team, who put up 29 points in the first. Adebayo hit five threes in this quarter—most of them from catch-and-shoot looks—which is four more than his season 3PM average. Adebayo also got easy looks on downhill drives, finishing furiously at the rim. This 31-point explosion is the fifth-most points ever scored in an NBA quarter. 

After two quarters of play, Adebayo was sitting at 43 points. His previous career high in a game was 41, which he easily surpassed in just one half of basketball. In the second quarter, he hit Washington with multiple silky spin moves in the paint. He also converted an acrobatic layup off the glass through contact as the half came to a close. When Wilt Chamberlain scored his NBA record 100 points in 1962, he posted 41 at halftime. When Kobe Bryant put up 81 in 2006, he scored just 26 after the first half. So, Adebayo’s 43 was a tell-tale sign he was on pace for history. 

To start the second half, Adebayo continued his scorching pace with three wide-open dunks and his sixth three of the game. Yet, free throws were the main source of Bam’s points, as he shot 10-13 from the line in the third. After just three quarters of play, Adebayo was now at 62 points. This set the Miami Heat franchise record for most points scored in a game, passing LeBron James’ 61-point game from 2014. 

Adebayo opened the fourth quarter with his career-high seventh three of the game off a catch-and-shoot corner pop. A minute later, he drove to the rim and finished a layup through contact. After converting the and-one free throw, Adebayo became the tenth player in NBA history to join the exclusive 70-point club. 

With just 9:05 left in the game, Adebayo had his eyes set on history. Despite going up by 30+ points, the Heat did everything they could to feed Bam in the fourth quarter. Adebayo attacked Washington’s defense at will, drawing a monstrous amount of fouls; he attempted 16 free throws in the fourth quarter alone. With 3:26 left, Adebayo caught a lofted pass in the paint and finished an easy floater, plus the foul. With the free throw conversion, he reached an astounding 77 points. 

In the final two minutes, Adebayo continued to draw contact from the Wizards’ defense; he hit four more free throws to tie Kobe Bryant’s 81 with 1:37 remaining. With 1:20 to go, Adebayo caught an inbound pass at mid-court, raced to the rim, and spun into his defender to draw a foul. With the Heat faithful frantically on their feet, Adebayo calmly sank two free throws, stamping his name into NBA history for the second-most points ever scored in an NBA game. 

In total, Adebayo scored 83 points—43 in the first half, 41 in the second—on 20-43 shooting from the field, and 7-22 from three. He shot 36-43 from the free throw line, setting the record for the most free throws attempted and made in an NBA game. Adebayo also shattered the record for most combined free-throw and three-point attempts in a game, with 65. 

Adebayo was asked about his thoughts regarding passing Kobe Bryant’s historic 81-point mark. He expressed, “In my mind, it’s like, what would he say to me? Because I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with him. He’d probably say to me: ‘Do it again!’ It’s just a surreal moment being in the company with somebody you idolized growing up.”

Adebayo recounted his approach to the game, also soaking in the weight of his performance. He remarked postgame, “My teammates [were] very geeked at halftime. So for me, it was just remaining calm and remaining locked in, understanding I could go for something special. Now, I didn’t think it was going to be 83. But, to have this moment is surreal because to be able to do it at home, in front of my people, in front of the home fans…this is a mark in history that will forever be remembered.”