Bam Adebayo: Historic 83-Point Night, Second-Most in an NBA Game
On Wednesday morning’s episode of ESPN’s Get Up, host Alan Hahn called the Washington Wizards a “scrimmage-like defense” that was going up against the Miami Heat.
Well, Bam Adebayo certainly verified that sentiment on Tuesday, scoring 83 points, leaving him trailing only the great Wilt Chamberlain (100) for most points scored in a single NBA game. In addition, Adebayo would go on to set the NBA record for most free throws made (36) and attempted (43).
The whole night became a spectacle early on, as Adebayo started off the game by dropping 31 points in the first quarter. His previous career-high in points for a single game was 41, so by the time the second quarter was starting, it was all systems go for the seasoned veteran in the midst of his ninth season – all with the Heat.
For a league that has lacked a lot of big 2025-26 moments like this one, the NBA needed Adebayo’s performance almost as much as him and the Heat did. The playoffs are a month away, so this was a nice boost for Miami, which currently in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Let’s a look back at the night that was, and if the Heat can keep that flame burning into the postseason.
Inside Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point Night Against the Wizards
Things got off to a fast start with Adebayo pouring in 31 of the Heat’s 40 points in the first quarter. Adebayo connected on his first three attempts, and on eight of his first nine attempts, which included four 3-pointers made during that stretch. In the second quarter, he would “slow down” a bit, with his lowest output of 12 points, giving him 43 by halftime.
Adebayo came out of halftime gunning once again, but it was the free throws paving the way in the third quarter, where he added 12 of his 19 points in the frame. But the fourth quarter? That was the chuckfest, as he sank only one of his six 3-point attempts. There was a huge play late, when Adebayo went up for an awkward running 3-pointer and got fouled in the process. He sank all three free throws to officially tie Kobe Bryant’s 81-point output. Fittingly, that record would be broken on free throws as well, giving him 83 in total for the night.
All in all, it was a nice mix of 43 points in the first half, followed by 40 in the second. Of course, the free throws played a monumental role in the 83-point outcome, and he even got a couple of NBA records to boot. Coming into the game, the Wizards had the NBA’s worst defensive efficiency rating, and that only got worse by late Tuesday.
Bam Adebayo’s 2025-2026 Season
Despite getting older, Adebayo keeps chugging along in consistent fashion, just as he’s done throughout his NBA career. After Tuesday’s game, he is averaging 20.0 PPG and 9.8 RPG – both of which are above his career averages.
It’s worth noting that Adebayo’s 44.8% of field goal attempts is at its worse, and I’m sure last night’s chuckfest didn’t help matters. He could be a member of the NBA’s First-Team All-Defense and could even find himself on the Third-Team All-NBA with this latest performance.
Miami Heat Playoff Chances, NBA Title & Eastern Conference Winner Odds
I've seen the Heat have +20000 longshot odds to win the NBA title, but the +4000 odds to win the Eastern Conference are definitely worth taking a flyer on. Given the uncertainty with most of the top teams in the East, this might not be a terrible bet to make at this point in the season.
This has been a phenomenal year for the Heat, which were not expected to make much noise this season. Miami has the fourth-best defensive efficiency rating (109.4) while also running the NBA’s fastest pace. If both of these things come together at the right time, we could be looking at a nice payout on the backend for that Eastern Conference winner bet.
