Bam Adebayo Smashes Scoring Record Set by Kobe Bryant in 2006
Bam Adebayo had a special game on Tuesday night, breaking multiple records and racking up the second-highest score in a single NBA game.
The Miami Heat Center led his team to a massive win on March 10, dropping a historic 83 points in the team’s 150-129 blowout win over the Washington Wizards at the Kesaya Center. As the game went on, Bam just broke more records, setting a franchise record with 31 in first quarter and 43 in the first half.
A LEGENDARY night for #13 ????
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 11, 2026
Winning Shots // @mph pic.twitter.com/46oUn2aW0O
Bam Breaks Records
Now, the only NBA player who has scored more points than Adebayo is none other than Wilt Chamberlain, who recorded a 100-point game in 1962. The previous number two spot was held by Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who dropped 81 points in a single game in 2006.
Bryant's 81 point game is an often-referenced achievement in the basketball world, and now, Bam will have to be mentioned in that same conversation.
“Man, I wish I could relive it twice,” Adebayo said to reporters on the court. “I credit God, my family and my teammates, this crowd.”
83! pic.twitter.com/qn8x8xsuxM
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 11, 2026
This achievement also marks the 16th 70-point game in NBA history, and the first since Luka Dončić did so with the Dallas Mavericks in 2024. Plus, Adebayo becomes the 11th player in league history to record a 70-point game, and is one of only six active players to do so.
Tonight's smash success also gives Adebayo the honor of the highest scoring game from any player in the league so far this season, easily surpassing the 56-points that Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić scored on Christmas Day.
“Obviously, it’s one of the top three performances of all time,” he said when asked what it was like to be alongside Chamberlain and Bryant in the record book.
How Did it Happen?
After exploding for 31 points in the opening quarter, Adebayo went into halftime already sitting on 43 points — along with a stat line that would normally look impressive for an entire game. In the first 24 minutes alone, he shot 13-of-24 from the field and knocked down five 3-pointers. His previous career high had been 41 points, meaning he had already surpassed that mark before heading to the locker room.
"Top 3 performances of all time" ???? pic.twitter.com/huPPRqGAme
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 11, 2026
Unsurprisingly, Adebayo carried much of the offensive load in the first half. His performance helped the team build a 14-point lead heading into the third quarter. Simone Fontecchio was the only other player to reach double digits with 11 points, while no one else made more than three field goals. Adebayo also accounted for nearly two-thirds of the team’s made 3-pointers. His 43 points marked the most scored in any half in Heat franchise history.
Still, one of the biggest highlights of the half came when Adebayo threw down a powerful two-handed dunk over Wizards center Alex Sarr.
He didn’t cool off after halftime, either. Midway through the third quarter, Adebayo passed Jokić’s mark with a pair of free throws that pushed him to 58 points. By the end of the period, he had racked up 62 and kept the Heat firmly in control.
His final bucket of the third quarter — a breakaway one-handed slam — set a new franchise single-game scoring record, surpassing the previous mark held by LeBron James. It also tied Bryant’s play-by-play era scoring record through three quarters.
NBA HISTORY WAS MADE TONIGHT!!! HEAT WIN!!! pic.twitter.com/GcObYnIWG7
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 11, 2026
Even though the outcome was largely in hand, Adebayo opened the fourth quarter on the floor and kept piling on. With just over nine minutes remaining, he powered through contact at the rim for a layup that pushed him to the 70-point milestone.
Adebayo later moved past Chamberlain’s second-best scoring performance with a pair of free throws with about two minutes left. Soon after, he added two more from the line — his 33rd and 34th free throws of the night — to match Bryant’s legendary 81-point game.
What Did Head Coach Eric Spoelstra Have to Say?
But he wasn’t finished yet. With 1:16 remaining, Adebayo attacked the basket again and drew another foul, surpassing Bryant’s mark at the stripe. After reaching 83 points, head coach Eric Spoelstra finally took him out of the game.
Spoelstra admitted afterward that there was no chance he was pulling Adebayo early.
“This one just kind of snuck up on us. It snuck up on all of us,” Spoelstra said. “Once it just kept on going, we knew we possibly could be a part of something really special. Didn’t really think it would necessarily be historic until he got to 70 … Then you’re caught up in the moment like everyone else, and I didn’t want to get in the way.”
Adebayo ultimately finished the night shooting 20-of-43 from the field and 7-of-22 from beyond the arc. His 22 attempts from three tied for the third-most in a single game in NBA history. He also went an incredible 36-of-43 from the free throw line, shattering the previous record of 28 made free throws in a game, which Adrian Dantley set in 1984. His 43 free throw attempts also set a new NBA record.