You’ve never seen this before — Bam Adebayo writes history with 83 points
.jpg)
Reading Time: 3min | Wed. 11.03.26. | 11:58
The Miami Heat player performed a miracle against Washington and vaulted to second place on the all-time list for most points in a single game
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo scored 83 points in a single game! Yes, you read that right — Adebayo put up 83 points in the Miami Heat’s 150–129 victory over the Washington Wizards, moving ahead of Kobe Bryant on the all-time list.
More than 20 years have passed since Bryant scored 81 points in Los Angeles against the Toronto Raptors, a feat many believed would never be matched — let alone surpassed.
If you had thousands of guesses over the last two decades about who would record the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, it’s hard to imagine Adebayo coming to mind. But that’s the NBA — and that’s why we love it.
To reach 83 points, he shot 13/21 on two-pointers, 7/22 from three, and 36/43 from the free-throw line. Those 36 made free throws are also the most ever in a single NBA game, breaking a record that had stood since 1953, when Bob Cousy made 30.
Only Wilt Chamberlain now stands ahead of Adebayo with his legendary 100-point game. With this performance, Adebayo pushed Chamberlain’s 78-point game down to fourth place, while Luka Doncic, David Thompson and Chamberlain himself now share fifth place with 73 points.
Adebayo also broke the Miami Heat franchise scoring record, doing it after just three quarters. When he scored his 62nd point, he surpassed LeBron James, who previously held the team record with 61 points. It was truly an unbelievable night.
Adebayo isn’t exactly known as an elite scorer. For years, the Heat center has been considered one of the best defenders in the NBA, occasionally shining offensively but never at this level. His previous career high came in 2021 against the Brooklyn Nets, when he scored 41 points. Against Washington, he nearly broke that mark in the first quarter alone.
The United States national team player looked like one of the monsters from Space Jam who stole someone’s offensive talent for a day. Considering the ease with which he scored — especially from three — it felt as if he had borrowed the offensive arsenal of Damian Lillard in his prime.
The last time a player scored 30+ points in a single quarter was in 2022, when Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 32 points in the third quarter of a game. Adebayo scored 31 in one quarter, hitting five three-pointers.
Before him, only five players had ever scored 30+ points in a quarter: Towns (32), Bryant twice with 30, Carmelo Anthony (33), Kevin Love (36 — the only one besides Adebayo to do it in the first quarter), and record-holder Klay Thompson, who scored 37 points without a miss in the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings in 2016.
By halftime, Adebayo had added 12 more points to reach 43, already breaking his career highs for points and three-pointers made (6).
The powerful center played until the final buzzer. He was completely exhausted — barely able to breathe — and it showed, as he even missed seven free throws late in the game due to fatigue.
Adebayo eventually battled his way to 81 points, tying Bryant’s famous mark. At that moment, the Wizards began fouling other Heat players just to prevent Adebayo from scoring again. But he still managed to earn two more free throws, made both, and reached 83 points — a historic achievement.