{"id":180931,"date":"2026-03-11T07:26:45","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:26:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=180931"},"modified":"2026-03-11T07:26:45","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T11:26:45","slug":"what-heat-bam-adebayo-83-points-say-about-todays-nba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/03\/11\/what-heat-bam-adebayo-83-points-say-about-todays-nba\/","title":{"rendered":"What Heat Star Bam Adebayo&#8217;s 83 Points Say About Today&#8217;s NBA"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On Tuesday, March 10th, Miami Heat center <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/adebaba01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bam Adebayo<\/a> had a historic game as his team downed the Washington Wizards. However, while solid, the center&#8217;s nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks weren&#8217;t noteworthy. So, what was so special about his night?<\/p>\n<h2>What Heat Star Bam Adebayo&#8217;s 83 Points Say About Today&#8217;s NBA<\/h2>\n<p>Best known for his inside defense and hustle, Adebayo scored 83 points against the Wizards. This surpasses Hall of Fame wing <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bryanko01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kobe Bryant<\/a>&#8216;s oft-celebrated 81-point performance in 2006. In fact, Adebayo&#8217;s recent outing ranks as the second-most points scored in a single NBA game, only behind Hall of Fame center <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/c\/chambwi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Wilt Chamberlain<\/a><span>&#8216;s much debated <\/span>100-point outburst in 1962.<\/p>\n<p>Asked postgame about what the moment felt like, Adebayo says: &#8220;I wish I could relive it twice. I credit God, my family, my teammates, this crowd. They kept feeding me the ball.&#8221;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">&#8220;I wish I could relive it twice.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>83 points.<\/p>\n<p>A night <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Bam1of1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@Bam1of1<\/a> will never forget \u2764\ufe0f <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/GRt85EiFVD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/GRt85EiFVD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBA (@NBA) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA\/status\/2031564993586397288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">Of course, Adebayo also broke the Heat&#8217;s franchise record for the most points scored in a single game, dethroning <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jamesle01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">LeBron James<\/a> (who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers). Bearing that in mind, Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra kept the box score from James&#8217; 61-point game against the Charlotte Bobcats in 2014, which he lost in a <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.in\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/46886028\/erik-spoelstra-grateful-remarkable-support-fire-destroys-home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fire that burned his house down<\/a> in late 2025. Spoelstra now says that <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ByTimReynolds\/status\/2031559885561684161?s=20\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">he can laugh about that<\/a>\u00a0(h\/t Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press).<\/p>\n<h3>Among The Greats<\/h3>\n<p data-wp-block-name=\"core\/paragraph\" data-wp-block=\"{&quot;dropCap&quot;:false}\">&#8220;Just a surreal moment being in the company with somebody that you idolized growing up,&#8221; Adebayo responds on SportCenter when Scott Van Pelt questioned about passing Bryant in the record books.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">.<a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/notthefakeSVP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@notthefakesvp<\/a>: &#8220;What do you think [Kobe would say]?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Bam Adebayo: &#8220;He would probably tell me do it again.&#8221; \ud83d\udd25 <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/a1MnY2JIyZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/a1MnY2JIyZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SportsCenter\/status\/2031579151598051625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"blockquote\">\n<p>&#8220;&#8230;In my mind, it\u2019s like, what would he say to me? Because I\u2019ve always wanted to have a conversation with him,\u201d Adebayo continues. \u201cHe\u2019ll probably say, \u2018Go do it again.\u2019&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Adebayo&#8217;s 83 points weren&#8217;t his only record-setting number that night. Breaking former NBA star center <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/howardw01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dwight Howard<\/a>&#8216;s record by four, Adebayo had 43 free-throw attempts. He went on to make 36 of them, shattering the previous record of 28 held jointly by Chamberlain and Hall of Fame forward <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/dantlad01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Adrian Danley<\/a>.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Every foul that led to Bam Adebayo free throws<\/p>\n<p>safe to say all fair calls <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8fkyyfg9Ow\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/8fkyyfg9Ow<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Heat Clips \ud83c\udfac (@MiamiClip) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MiamiClip\/status\/2031568727741788181?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 11, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The three-time All-Star also holds the fourth-most points in a single quarter (31). He&#8217;s tied with Milwaukee Bucks\u00a0forward <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/antetgi01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/a> for the third-most points in a half (43).<\/p>\n<h3>All About Scoring<\/h3>\n<p>It has been a prominent narrative in recent years that scoring in the NBA has increased exponentially. This is a trend that is evident when looking at the highest-scoring games in NBA history. Eight of the 20 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/leaders\/pts_game.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">highest-scoring games in NBA history<\/a> come from Chamberlain. He&#8217;s also the only player whose name appears more than one time on the list.<\/p>\n<p>Seven of these 20 games come after the year 2000. Counting Portland Trail Blazers point guard <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/l\/lillada01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Damian Lillard<\/a>, who&#8217;s been <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/09\/13\/damian-lillard-still-matters-as-the-trail-blazers-cheerleader\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">sitting out the 2025-26 season<\/a> as he recovers from a torn Achilles, six of those games come from players who are currently active.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_181107\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-181107\" style=\"width: 2560px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/USATSI_19715221_168420908_lowres-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"size-full wp-image-181107\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/USATSI_19715221_168420908_lowres-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/USATSI_19715221_168420908_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/USATSI_19715221_168420908_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/USATSI_19715221_168420908_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/USATSI_19715221_168420908_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/USATSI_19715221_168420908_lowres-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/USATSI_19715221_168420908_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/USATSI_19715221_168420908_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-181107\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jan 2, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) talks to a television reporter after the game between the Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mitchell set the franchise record for points with 71. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lakers point guard <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/d\/doncilu01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Luka Doncic<\/a>&#8216;s 73-point game in early 2024, when he was still a member of the Dallas Mavericks, was taken by many as a sign that he could score as many points as Bryant (or more). Lillard and Philadelphia 76ers center <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/embiijo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joel Embiid<\/a>&#8216;s performances came after playing less than 40 minutes, each playing 39 and 37 minutes, respectively. Cleveland Cavaliers guard <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/m\/mitchdo01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Donovan Mitchell<\/a> played an astounding 50 minutes when he scored 71 points, while Chamberlain played an absurd 63 minutes to put up 78 points.<\/p>\n<p>To that point, the average number of minutes played by players to score at least 70 points <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/04\/29\/knicks-can-clinch-series-at-home\/\" target=\"_self\">before 1999<\/a> was 48.33 minutes. However, post-1999, this number has shrunk to 42.82 minutes. The trend here is clear. As the seasons go by, a greater number of players are scoring more but playing fewer minutes.<\/p>\n<h3>The Last Word On Bam Adebayo&#8217;s 83-Point Game<\/h3>\n<p>Ultimately, today&#8217;s game is much different from what the game was like 20 years ago. Bryant scored his 81 in an era with the slowest pace ever in NBA history. Chamberlain&#8217;s 100-point game isn&#8217;t even on film. In the future, with the array of options that a player has to score and the increasing skill of those playing professional basketball, it&#8217;s safe to assume that even Chamberlain&#8217;s record may not be safe for very long.<\/p>\n<div ng-show=\"setImageMetadata.credit\" class=\"modal-image-setImageMetadata\">\n<p class=\"ng-binding\">\u00a9 Rhona Wise-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Tuesday, March 10th, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo had a historic game as his team downed the Washington Wizards. However, while solid, the center&#8217;s nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks weren&#8217;t noteworthy. So, what was so special about his night? What Heat Star Bam Adebayo&#8217;s 83 Points Say About Today&#8217;s NBA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5724,"featured_media":181108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,1608,62,3],"tags":[1010,583,551,38,2014],"class_list":["post-180931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-heat","category-basketball","category-nba","category-news","tag-bam-adebayo","tag-erik-spoelstra","tag-kobe-bryant","tag-lebron-james","tag-wilt-chamberlain"],"modified_by":"Quenton S Albertie","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5724"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=180931"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":181109,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/180931\/revisions\/181109"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/181108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=180931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=180931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=180931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}