The Miami Heat beat the Washington Wizards 150-129. Heat center Bam Adebayo scored an incredible 83 points during the game. This is the second-highest single-game total in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game is higher. Adebayo passed Kobe Bryant's 81-point record.
A Controversial Performance
Adebayo's record-breaking night came with some controversy. He attempted 43 field goals, 22 three-pointers, and set NBA records with 36 made free throws and 43 free throw attempts. Some critics called this "stat-padding." They questioned the integrity of the game.
Former Heat player Jason Williams noted the high number of free throws. He said he didn't shoot that many in an entire season. Williams only attempted 41 free throws in his last two NBA seasons combined.
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Heat coach Erik Spoelstra defended Adebayo. He praised Adebayo for doing "all the winning things" and being a "rugged competitor."
Echoes of Past Records
The end of the game was unusual. The Heat were up by 25 points with less than three minutes left. Yet, they kept trying to get Adebayo the ball. Heat players intentionally fouled the Wizards to get possession back for Adebayo.
Wizards coach Brian Keefe said the fourth quarter "just turned into not a real basketball game." The Wizards tried to stop Adebayo with double, triple, and even quadruple teams. They also fouled him 26 times, a record for the last 20 seasons.
This strategy is similar to what happened when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in 1962. The Philadelphia Warriors also fouled the New York Knicks to get the ball back for Chamberlain.
Kobe Bryant's 81-point game in 2006 also saw his teammates focus on getting him the ball. Bryant took 28 of the Lakers' 38 shots in the second half. He took 13 of their 17 shots in the fourth quarter.
Houston guard Kevin Durant pointed out the physical toll of such a performance. Adebayo was visibly exhausted and drenched in sweat by the end of the game.
Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo believes the details won't matter later. He said, "In 30 years from now, nobody's going to remember how many free throws he shot... All you remember is 81. Wilt, 100. At the end of the day, he got 83 points."
A Historic Night
Adebayo's scoring was consistent throughout the game. He had 31 points in the first quarter, 12 in the second, and 19 in the third. He entered the fourth quarter with 62 points.
It's rare for a player to maintain such high scoring. Out of nearly 3,000 instances in the last 30 seasons where a player scored at least 15 points in the first quarter, only 0.8% went on to score 10 or more points in every quarter.
Adebayo never met Kobe Bryant but admired him. He wore Bryant's sneakers and owns one of his jerseys. Now, their names are forever linked in NBA history. Adebayo called the achievement "crazy."
