On a night that will be etched into NBA history, Bam Adebayo, the Miami Heat star, poured in a staggering 83 points, leading his team to a dominant 150-129 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
His 83-point game is now the second-highest single-game scoring total in NBA history, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s iconic 81-point performance for the Los Angeles Lakers against Toronto in 2006. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s historic 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in 1962 remains ahead of it.
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For Adebayo, the night felt almost surreal
“I wish I could relive it twice,” Adebayo said afterwards.
On Tuesday night, he erupted for 31 points in the first quarter alone, setting the tone early. By halftime, he had already piled up 43 points, leaving the Wizards’ defence struggling for answers.
He pushed his total to 62 points by the end of the third quarter, already surpassing LeBron James’ Miami Heat franchise record of 61 points.
Then, in the fourth quarter, Adebayo crossed the 80-point mark.
His final stat line was extraordinary: 20-of-43 shooting from the field, 7-of-22 from beyond the arc, and a remarkable 36-of-43 from the free-throw line, which itself set an NBA record for free throws made in a single game.
LeBron James took to social media to react to Adebayo’s performance. “BAM BAM BAM 💥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥” he posted.
BAM BAM BAM 💥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 11, 2026
New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson summed up, “Bro, what?"
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce was equally shocked. "Wait a minute, Bam got what."
Notably, with this, Miami improved to 37-29 on the season and extended its winning streak to six games.
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On the other hand, Washington has now lost nine straight games. Rookie Alex Sarr led the team with 28 points, while Will Riley added 22, and Jaden Hardy finished with 17.