Bam Adebayo scored 83 points in the Miami Heat‘s Wednesday night win over the Washington Wizards in what was the second-highest scoring game in NBA
Adedayo’s 83 points is officially the second highest-scoring game in NBA history, only behind a legendary performance from Wilt Chamberlain.
He finished shooting 20/43 from the field, 7/22 from three, and 36/43 from the free-throw line, with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in 42 minutes in the now-historic game.
Miami won the game against the Wizards 150-129.
It was also the highest scoring game of the NBA season, as Adebayo heavily surpassed Nikola Jokic‘s 56 points scored on Christmas
Bam Adebayo Scores 83 For Miami Heat
Adebayo finished the first quarter for the Heat with 31 points, a career and franchise record for points in a quarter.
“Besides Towns and now Adebayo, only three other players in the last 30 seasons had at least 31 points in a quarter: Klay Thompson had an NBA record for any quarter with 37 in 2015; Kevin Love had 34 for Cleveland in 2016; and Carmelo Anthony had 33 for Denver against in 2008,” ESPN wrote on Adebayo at halftime of the game.
He then went on to finish the first half with 43 points, which was just two points more of his previous career-high scoring total. It was the second-highest scoring half in the past 30 years, as Karl-Anthony Towns‘ 44 points back in early 2024.
— 43 points (already his game career high) — Heat record for 1st quarter (was 25) — Heat record for any quarter (was 25) — Heat record for 1st half (was 31) — Heat record for any half (was 37) — Highest scoring NBA first half in 26 months
He was 13 for 24 from the field, 12 for 14 from the foul line and 5 for 11 from 3-point range in the first half. He’s the first player with at least 12 field goal, 12 free throws and five 3s in one half since Kobe Bryant (18 FG, 13 FT, 6 threes) did it in the second half of his 81-point game against the Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006,” ESPN added.
Adebayo is the first Heat player and only the fourth center to score at least 70 points.
It was only the 15th time in NBA history a player recorded at least 70 points in a single game, with Adebayo only the 11th player to hit the mark, and the first since Joel Embiid scored 70 in 2024.
He then became the second player in NBA history to score more than Bryant’s 81 points, just behind Chamberlain’s 100-point game.
THE SECOND-MOST EVER.
Wilt: 100 Bam: 83 Kobe: 81
“Bam Adebayo scored the most points since Wilt Chamberlain‘s iconic 100-point game in 1962 as the Miami Heat star went for 83 points in a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night,” ESPN wrote in an updated article. “He joined Chamberlain as the only player in NBA history with at least 20 field goals and 25 free throws in a game, according to ESPN Research. Kobe Bryant’s 81 point game stood for two decades as the most points scored in a game since Chamberlain’s game on March 3, 1962.”
NBA World Reacts To Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point Game
While the Heat-Wizards began as a normal late regular-season NBA game, it quickly turned into a social media superstorm, as fans, players, and others reacted live as Adebayo’s historic scoring total only increased as the night went on.
“Chill out @Bam1of1,” Mitchell wrote.
“A’ja Wilson was HYPED for Bam after he set a Heat franchise record 62 PTS in a game,” Bleacher Report wrote.
“Wilt Chamberlain (6 times) Kobe Bryant Luka Doncic David Thompson Damian Lillard Donovan Mitchell David Robinson Joel Embiid Elgin Baylor Devin Booker AND NOW BAM ADEBAYO WITH 70 points!!!! What a special night in Miami,” Brett Siegel wrote.
The four best scoring nights in NBA history.
Wilt. Kobe. Wilt. Bam. The four best scoring nights in NBA history,” Tim Reynolds wrote.
BREAKS LEBRON’S HEAT RECORD OF 61 🚨
TIES KOBE FOR MOST POINTS THROUGH 3 QUARTERS IN PLAY-BY-PLAY ERA 🚨
“62 POINTS FOR BAM ADEBAYO BREAKS LEBRON’S HEAT RECORD OF 61 TIES KOBE FOR MOST POINTS THROUGH 3 QUARTERS IN PLAY-BY-PLAY ERA,” the NBA wrote.
The game is not over.
“Miami’s Bam Adebayo has 77 points against Washington. The game is not over,” Marc Stein wrote.
Adebayo’s historic game took the NBA word, and social media as a whole, by storm.
The league is sure to announce further stats and news about the legendary performance, but for the time being, Adabeyo should be praised for what is a feat that felt extremely unlikely when the Heat-Wizards game began, but slowly turned into the second-most prolific scoring night in the history of professional basketball.
Bam Adebayo Scores 83 Points In Second-Highest Scoring Game In NBA History