A center averaging under five free throw attempts per game stepped to the line 43 times on Tuesday night. He made 36 of them. By the final buzzer, Bam Adebayo had 83 points and a permanent place in basketball history.
Bam Adebayo 83 points — that sentence still reads like a typo. But it happened. 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. PixPretty Online He surpassed Kobe Bryant’s famous 81-point game from 2006, leaving only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point night from 1962 ahead of him.
For a player built around defense, rebounding, and playmaking, the performance was staggering. So far this season, Adebayo had averaged just 4.8 free throw attempts per game. PixPretty Online Against the Wizards, he shot 43.
The Full Box Score Behind Bam Adebayo’s 83-Point 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 three-point range in 42 minutes on the court. PixPretty Online
He also finished with nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks — playing nearly the full game as the Heat pulled away against a shorthanded Wizards team.
Adebayo scored 62 points through three quarters, the most by any player since Kobe Bryant had 62 through three on December 20, 2005, against the Dallas Mavericks — when Bryant famously outscored Dallas 62–61 through three quarters before sitting out the fourth. Yahoo!
Fittingly, it was on a free throw that he broke the record, with 1:16 left in the fourth quarter. PixPretty Online A center dropping 83 on 43 free throw attempts is not the performance anyone predicted. It is now one for the ages.
Records Set and the Numbers That Define This Game
Adebayo’s free throw makes and attempts both set NBA records. The previous record for attempts was 39 by Dwight Howard, achieved twice. The record for free throws made in a game was 28, set by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley. PixPretty Online
Adebayo joins Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history with 20 made field goals and 25 made free throws in a game. Yahoo!
Adebayo is the first player to score 70-plus points in a game while shooting below 50 percent from the field. PixPretty Online Going 20-of-43 from the floor while still reaching 83 points tells you everything about what happened at the free-throw line.
He also set Heat franchise records for most points in a quarter (31), half (43), and game (83). LeBron James had held the previous Heat single-game scoring record with 61 points against Charlotte on March 3, 2014. Yahoo! Adebayo passed that mark before the third quarter ended and just kept scoring.
His previous career high coming into Tuesday’s game was 41. The total from his two highest-scoring games before Tuesday — 41 and 38 — was less than the 83 he scored against the Wizards. Yahoo!
He is the 11th different player in NBA history to score at least 70 points in a game. The other 10: Wilt Chamberlain (six times), Kobe Bryant, Luka Doncic, David Thompson, Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor, Joel Embiid, and Devin Booker. Yahoo!
“Wilt, Me, Then Kobe”
After the game, Adebayo put what happened in a simple order. Per ESPN’s separate report, his framing was direct: “‘Wilt, me, then Kobe'” — Adebayo’s own summary of the NBA’s all-time single-game scoring list. Yahoo!
Bryant had been Adebayo’s basketball idol. Passing him in the record books — while still trailing only Chamberlain — produced a reaction across the NBA. LeBron James, A’ja Wilson, and dozens of current players flooded social media within minutes of the final buzzer.
The Game Around Him
The Heat did not need Adebayo to carry the entire load alone; the Wizards came in shorthanded. Washington was without Trae Young, held out for right knee injury management. Alex Sarr had 28 points for the Wizards, Will Riley added 22, and Jaden Hardy scored 17. Washington has lost nine straight. PixPretty Online
Miami was also without Norman Powell (groin), Tyler Herro (quadriceps), Nikola Jovic (back), and Andrew Wiggins (toe). Simone Fontecchio scored 18 for the Heat, who have now won six straight and moved a season-best eight games over .500 at 37–29. PixPretty Online
The absences on both sides gave Adebayo unusual space and usage — but no shortage of explanations will diminish what the box score shows. Chamberlain’s 100 points happened in a specific era with specific rules. Bryant’s 81 remains one of the most replayed clips in NBA history. Adebayo’s 83, delivered at Kaseya Center in Miami on March 10, 2026, now sits permanently between them.
Where It Stands in History
The three highest-scoring games in NBA history:
1. Wilt Chamberlain — 100 points (Hershey, Pennsylvania, March 2, 1962 — Philadelphia Warriors vs. New York Knicks)
2. Bam Adebayo — 83 points (Miami, March 10, 2026 — Miami Heat vs. Washington Wizards)
3. Kobe Bryant — 81 points (Los Angeles, January 22, 2006 — Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors)
Chamberlain’s record has stood for 64 years. Adebayo is 28 years old.
FAQ
Q1: How many points did Bam Adebayo score, and who did it come against? Adebayo scored 83 points for the Miami Heat in a 150–129 win over the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center in Miami on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.
Q2: What records did Bam Adebayo set in the 83-point game? Adebayo set NBA records for free throws made (36) and attempted (43) in a single game, surpassing Dwight Howard’s attempts record (39, achieved twice) and the previous makes record of 28 shared by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley. He also set Miami Heat franchise records for most points in a quarter (31), half (43), and game (83), breaking LeBron James’ previous Heat record of 61 points.
Q3: Where does Bam Adebayo’s 83 points rank in NBA history? It is the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. Adebayo surpassed Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game from January 22, 2006, against the Toronto Raptors.
Q4: What was Bam Adebayo’s previous career high before this game? Adebayo’s previous career high was 41 points. The combined total of his two previous best scoring games — 41 and 38 — was less than what he scored against Washington on Tuesday.
Q5: What did Bam Adebayo say after scoring 83 points? Adebayo summarized the NBA’s all-time single-game scoring list simply: “Wilt, me, then Kobe.”
