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By Cole Sullivan
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Tuesday, March 10, 2026, will forever go down in NBA history, as it marked the night Bam Adebayo delivered an astonishing 83-point performance for the Miami Heat against the Washington Wizards, surpassing the late great Kobe Bryant for the second-most points ever scored in a single NBA game.
Miami went on to win 150–129, with Adebayo scoring his 83 points in 41 minutes. He shot 20-for-43 from the field, 36-for-43 from the free-throw line, and 7-for-22 from beyond the arc while adding nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.
One of the first to react to the historic performance was LeBron James, who previously held the Heat franchise record with 61 points — a mark Adebayo shattered with ease.
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“BAM BAM BAM,” James posted on X.
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Erik Spoelstra made the decision to leave Bam Adebayo in the game, though there wasn’t much of a choice as he inched closer to the record. The crowd — which included his mother and girlfriend, A'ja Wilson — began to rise to its feet as each point brought him closer to Kobe Bryant’s mark, which was set back in 2006 against the Toronto Raptors.
After the game, Adebayo shared an emotional embrace with both his mom and Wilson.
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Adebayo set the tone for a historic night early, scoring 31 points in the first quarter and maintaining a pace that kept him on track to surpass the record, especially with his ability to consistently get to the charity stripe.
Down the stretch, the Wizards threw two and sometimes three defenders at him in an effort to prevent the milestone. But the Heat weren’t going to let that happen, intentionally fouling late to stop the clock and give Adebayo more chances to reach the mark — and after several trips to the line, he did just that.
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