MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 83 points, the second-best score in NBA history, to lift the Miami Heat to a 150-129 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.
Adebayo had 31 points in the first quarter, 43 at 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 3-point range.
Adebayo’s free throw and attempts both set NBA single-game records. The record for attempts was 39 by Dwight Howard, who reached the line twice as many times. The record for free throws in a game was 28, set by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley.
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Chamberlain hit all 28 free throws on the night he scored 100 points in 1962 – the only game better than Adebayo in NBA history. Adebayo passed his basketball idol Kobe Bryant for the second-highest scoring game ever; Bryant’s career best was 81.
LeBron James had the previous Heat single-game scoring mark; his 61-point effort against Charlotte came on March 3, 2014. Denver’s Nikola Jokic tied the previous season’s NBA high this season with 56.
Adebayo passed them both in the third quarter – and just kept going.
Simone Fontecchio scored 18 points for Miami (37-29), which has won six straight and moved above .500 through its best eight games of the season. The Heat were without Norman Powell (groin), Tyler Herro (quadriceps), Nikola Jovic (back) and Andrew Wiggins (toe).
Alex Sarr had 28 points for the Wizards, who were without Trae Young and holding out while dealing with right knee injuries. Will Riley added 22 and Jaden Hardy scored 17 for Washington, which has lost nine straight games.
