Bam Adebayo hit a career high and broke some Miami Heat and NBA records on Tuesday night.
On March 10, Adebayor scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards. Yes, 83 points. It was the second-highest score in an NBA game, surpassing the late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 points on January 22, 2006.
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Adebayor made 20 of 43 shots from the field, including 7 of 22 three-pointers. He goes to the free throw line a lot of36-for-43 from the field, two NBA single-game records for free throws made and free throws made.
He played 42 minutes and the Heat defeated the Wizards 150-129. His scoring more than doubled his previous career high of 41 points.
Wilt Chamberlain set a single-game scoring record when he scored 100 points against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.
Here are the best scoring nights in NBA history:
Wilt Chamberlain, 100, March 2, 1962
Chamberlain played all 48 minutes against the Knicks in a 169-147 victory, hitting 36 of 63 field goal attempts. The always thrilling free throw shooter (career 51.1 percent) hit 28 of 32 free throws this time around, a record that tied Adrian Dantley’s mark set in 1984 but wasn’t broken until Tuesday night when Adebayo made 36 attempts from the line.
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Bam Adebayo, 83, March 10, 2026
Adebayo hit 20 of 43 field goals, including 7 of 22 from 3-point range. He made a record 36 free throws on 43 field goal attempts.
Bam Adebayo scores tonight: Heat star scores second-highest score in NBA history
Kobe Bryant, 81, January 22, 2006
Kobe’s best game ranking ranks second in NBA history for 20 consecutive years. In the 122-104 victory over the Raptors, he made 28 of 46 shots, including 7 of 13 from three-point range.
Wilt Chamberlain, 78, December 8, 1961
Chamberlain scored more than 70 points five times in his career. As a member of the Philadelphia Warriors, Chamberlain scored 78 points in this game, helping the team lose to the Lakers 151-147.
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Luka Doncic, 73, January 26, 2024
A few seasons ago, Doncic scored 73 points while playing for the Dallas Mavericks. He set a career high in points against the Atlanta Hawks. Revenge game? perhaps. Doncic was originally selected by the Hawks with the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but was traded to Dallas on draft day.
Doncic led the Mavericks to a 148-143 win in that game. Doncic is not the only player in NBA history to score 73 points in a single game.
David Thompson, 73, April 9, 1978
David “Skywalker” Thompson was known for his head dunks in highlight games, but he was also one of the best scorers of his era. Generation Z, have you done your homework? On one special night in April 1978, Thompson scored 73 points for the Denver Nuggets in a 139-137 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
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Wilt Chamberlain, 73, twice
Chamberlain’s basketball prowess is legendary. He scored 73 points for the second straight season.
On January 13, 1962, Chamberlain scored 73 points to lead the Philadelphia Warriors to a 135-117 victory over the Chicago Packers. That same year, but the next season after the team moved to San Francisco, Chamberlain did it again, scoring 73 points against the Knicks on November 16 in a 127-111 win.
Wilt Chamberlain, 72, November 3, 1962
You’ve already seen photos of Chamberlain, but he’ll be on this list again. On this special day, he scored 72 points in the Lakers’ 127-115 loss. Chamberlain made 29 of 48 shots and 14 of 18 from the free throw line. Of course, there is no 3.
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Damian Lillard, 71, February 26, 2023
Lillard once again showed the Houston Rockets what “Virgin Time” means. Whether it was the regular season or the playoffs, he broke the hearts of Houstonians. This time it was a 71-point game that did it. Lillard led the Portland Trail Blazers to a 131-114 victory.
Lillard made as many three-pointers as two-pointers, nine each. He made 14 free throws.
Donovan Mitchell, 71, January 2, 2023
Mitchell, who scored 71 points in a month with the Cleveland Cavaliers, made some changes before Lillard’s output. The Cavaliers earned a victory over the Chicago Bulls 145-134. Mitchell made 22 of 34 shots, including 7 of 15 from long range. He made 20 of 25 free throws, but the most surprising stat is that he also dished out 11 assists.
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Other 70-point scorers in NBA history
While it’s a rare feat, there are a few players who have reached the 70-point threshold in their careers…and a few who have come very close.
On April 24, 1994, San Antonio Spurs big man David Robinson scored 71 points against the Los Angeles Clippers in the final game of the regular season to win the NBA scoring title.
The other 71-point game in NBA history was Lakers all-time great Elgin Baylor’s 123-108 victory over the Knicks on November 15, 1960.
Joel Embiid scored 70 points against the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama in the 2024 season. Just days before Doncic scored 73 points, he set a career high. On January 22, Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers won 133-123. This is the 18th anniversary of Kobe’s 81-point game.
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On March 24, 2017, Devin Booker also scored 70 points against the Boston Celtics, who lost to the Syracuse Nationals 130-120. On March 10, 1963, Chamberlain scored 70 points again, and the team lost to the Syracuse Nationals 163-148.
Regardless, Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan scored a career-high 69 points.
This article originally appeared in USA Today: Most points scored in an NBA game: Bam Adebayo ranks with 83 points
