MIAMI — Bam Adebayo put on one of the most remarkable performances in NBA history Tuesday night, scoring 83 points to carry the Miami Heat to a 150–129 win over the Washington Wizards. The scoring outburst ranks as the second-highest single-game total in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962.
Bam Adebayo Delivers Historic 83-Point Masterpiece in Heat Win Over Wizards
Adebayo started the game on fire, scoring 31 points in the first quarter and reaching 43 by halftime. He continued his dominance into the second half, hitting 62 points by the end of the third quarter before finishing the night with 83. He shot 20-for-43 from the field, 7-for-22 from three-point range, and an incredible 36-for-43 from the free-throw line.
The Heat star also set NBA records for free throws made and attempted in a single game. His 36 makes and 43 attempts surpassed the previous attempts record of 39, held by Dwight Howard, and the prior makes record of 28, shared by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley.
With the performance, Adebayo surpassed his basketball idol, Kobe Bryant, whose 81-point game in 2006 was previously the second-highest in NBA history. He also broke the Miami Heat franchise record, topping LeBron James’s 61-point effort against Charlotte in 2014.
Simone Fontecchio added 18 points for Miami (37–29), which extended its winning streak to six games and moved eight games above .500. The Heat played without Norman Powell, Tyler Herro, Nikola Jović, and Andrew Wiggins due to injuries.
For Washington, Alex Sarr led with 28 points, while Will Riley scored 22 and Jaden Hardy added 17. The Wizards were without Trae Young and have now dropped nine straight games.
The historic night adds to Adebayo’s accolades this season, including the Bob Lanier Award for December and joining Dwyane Wade as only the second Heat player to surpass 10,000 career points.
This unforgettable performance cements Adebayo’s status as one of the league’s premier stars and one of the greatest single-game scorers in NBA history.
