Heat’s Bam Adebayo drops 83 points, second-highest scoring game in NBA history

As improbable as it may sound, say this now, in this order: Wilt Chamberlain, Bam Adebayo and Kobe Bryant.

They produced the three highest-scoring games in NBA history.

Adebayo, a center known primarily for his outstanding defense and impressive work ethic, scored 83 points Tuesday night to lead the Miami Heat over the Washington Wizards 150-129 at Kaseya Center.

“I don’t even know how to put this night into words, man,” Adebayo told reporters in Miami, sitting beside his girlfriend, WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson. “I feel lightheaded. I don’t even know how to really respond, for real.”

Do not fault Adebayo for almost being speechless. Although he is a star in his own right — a three-time All-Star and a five-time NBA All-Defensive player — no one could have expected this.

Adebayo, who has made strides with his 3-point shooting over the last two seasons, had a previous career-high of 41 points and entered Tuesday’s game averaging 18.9 points per game this season.

“This was just an absolutely surreal night,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Obviously, we’ve been blessed to have been a part of a lot of big moments in this arena. This one, it just happened. Moments happen, you know? And I’m grateful that we’re all able to be a part of it and witness it.”

Chamberlain holds the NBA single-game scoring record, with his 100-point game on March 2, 1962. Bryant scored 81 points on Jan. 22, 2006.

With 1:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, Adebayo hit a pair of free throws to reach 83 points. The Heat took Adebayo out of the game a short while later. He finished the game 20-of-43 from the field and 36-of-43 from the free-throw line, setting two NBA records for free throws made and attempted in a game.

The performance caught everyone’s attention in the NBA.

In Milwaukee, after the Phoenix Suns defeated the Bucks, Bucks coach Doc Rivers asked reporters: “Is it true a human being had 83 points tonight?”

In Los Angeles, Minnesota Timberwolves players huddled around their phones in the visiting locker room before their game against the Lakers, watching the final five minutes. When Adebayo hit his final two foul shots to reach 83 points, players shook their heads in amazement.

“Wilt, then Bam,” Bones Hyland said. “That’s hard.”

In Houston, the Rockets had just defeated the Toronto Raptors. Rockets coach Ime Udoka said: “First thing you think is how, not because of him, but because of the way he plays. I saw he only made six 3s but 40 free throws or something like that; (that) tells the story right there.”

Then Udoka paused and said: “And the Washington Wizards.”

With their loss, in which starting center Alex Sarr was on a minutes restriction and played only 20 minutes, the Wizards fell to 16-48 this season, the league’s third-worst record.

Late in the game, the Wizards attempted to deny Adebayo the ball. In the fourth quarter alone, Adebayo attempted 16 free throws.

“There was a lot of fouls called, 16 free throws in the fourth quarter,” Washington coach Brian Keefe said. “(We were) just trying to take the ball out of his hands. He’s still got some free throws 40 feet from the rim. I can’t explain some of those calls.”

Later, Keefe said: “The fourth quarter just turned into not a real basketball game. But we’ve got to be better with our ball security, and we’ve got to own the fact that we let this guy get hot, and that’s on us.”

The Wizards’ troubles did not concern the Heat, who won their sixth consecutive game and improved their overall record to 37-29.

Adebayo’s teammates doused him with water at midcourt as he prepared to do a postgame interview for the announced crowd of 19,700 people and the audience watching on FanDuel Sports Network Sun. Still dripping water, Adebayo was asked to describe the moment.

“Man, I wish I could relive it twice,” Adebayo answered. “I credit God, my family, my teammates, this crowd.”

Adebayo scored his 80th and 81st points by sinking a pair of free throws with 1:37 remaining in the fourth, tying the 81-point night by Bryant.

Adebayo played 10:46 of the fourth quarter, scoring 21 of his 83 points. In that quarter alone, Adebayo shot 3 for 8 from the field, including 1-for-6 from 3-point range and 14-of-16 from the free-throw line.

The Heat center entered Tuesday with a career scoring average of just 16.0 points per game and has only averaged more than 20.0 points per game once in his career (20.4, in the 2022-23 season). But he started the night by turning in the most dominant scoring quarter of the 2025-26 season so far, scoring 31 points in the first quarter.

Playing all 12 minutes, Adebayo encountered little resistance and few, if any, adjustments, as he tallied his 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting from the field, including 5-for-8 shooting from behind the arc. Adebayo also went 6-of-7 from the free-throw line.

His 31-point outburst set the Heat record for points in a quarter, breaking LeBron James’ franchise record. James scored a franchise-best 25 in the third quarter against the Charlotte Bobcats on March 3, 2014, and 25 points in the first quarter on March 18, 2014, in Cleveland against the Cavaliers.

Adebayo finished the first half with 43 points. It was at about that time, he said, that he realized that he had an opportunity for a special night.

“Obviously, my teammates (were) very geeked at halftime,” Adebayo said. “So for me, it was just remaining calm and remaining locked-in and understanding I can go for something special. Now, I didn’t think it was gonna be 83. But to have this moment is surreal, because like I said, man, to be able to do it at home, in front of my mom, in front of my people, in front of the home fans, this is a mark in history that will forever be remembered.”

— The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, Jon Krawczynski and William Guillory contributed.