Bam Adebayo etched his name in NBA history books Tuesday with a scoring feat that will stand the test of time.
The Miami Heat center scored 83 points to surpass Kobe Bryant for the second-highest scoring total in a single game in NBA history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points for the most all-time. Adebayo shot 20/43 from the field with 7 three-pointers to go along with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
83 POINTS FOR BAM ADEBAYO.
— NBA (@NBA) March 11, 2026
THE SECOND-MOST EVER.
Wilt: 100
Bam: 83
Kobe: 81 pic.twitter.com/5AxI6j8m35
The Wizards started triple-teaming Adebayo late in the fourth quarter, but it came far too late to prevent him from passing Bryant’s iconic 81-point mark. The added pressure helped Adebayo draw some easy fouls to get to the free throw line, where he scored 36 of his 83 points in the 150-129 Heat victory.
Adebayo scored his final two points on a pair of free throws, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
Bam Adebayo just had a once-in-a-lifetime 83 freaking points. Wow. pic.twitter.com/XbkB1pemPF
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 11, 2026
Adebayo started the game scorching hot with a Heat franchise record 31 points in the first quarter, which broke LeBron James’ record of 25 set in 2014. It was merely a sign of things to come as the All-Star center set his sights on an even bigger record.
Adebayo scored 12 points in the second quarter to break his own career high of 41 by halftime. He tacked on 21 more by the end of the third quarter to break LeBron’s 61-point franchise record with a quarter to spare.
