Bam Adebayo scores 83, passing Kobe Bryant for second most points in single NBA game

Bam Adebayo scored 83 points, the second-best scoring effort in NBA history, to carry the Miami Heat to a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Adebayo had 31 points in the first quarter, 43 by halftime and 62 by the end of the third quarter. He finished 20 for 43 from the field, 36 for 43 from the foul line and 7 for 22 from 3-point range in 42 minutes on the court. Adebayo is the first player to score 70-plus points in a game while shooting below 50% from the field, according to CBS Sports.

Adebayo’s free throw makes and attempts both set NBA records for a game as well. Fittingly, it was on a free throw that he broke the record, with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter. The record for attempts was 39 by Dwight Howard — who got to the line that many times on two occasions. The record for free throws made in a game was 28, set by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley.

Chamberlain got the 28 free throws on the night he scored 100 points in 1962 — the only game better than Adebayo in NBA history. Adebayo passed his basketball idol, Kobe Bryant, for the second-highest scoring game ever; Bryant’s career-best was 81. So far this season, according to ESPN, Adebayo averaged 4.8 free throw attempts per game. 

According to ESPN, Adebayo also became the first player with at least 12 made field goals, 12 made free throws and five made 3-pointers in a single game since Bryant’s 81-point game against Toronto in 2006. 

LeBron James had the previous Heat single-game scoring mark; his 61-point effort against Charlotte happened on March 3, 2014. Denver’s Nikola Jokic had the previous season high in the NBA this season with 56.

Adebayo passed them both in the third quarter — and just kept going.

Simone Fontecchio scored 18 points for Miami (37-29), which has won six straight and moved a season-best eight games over .500. The Heat were without Norman Powell (groin), Tyler Herro (quadriceps), Nikola Jovic (back) and Andrew Wiggins (toe).

Alex Sarr had 28 points for the Wizards, who were without Trae Young — held out with right knee injury management. Will Riley added 22 and Jaden Hardy scored 17 for Washington, which has lost nine straight.