Opinion: Stunning performance as Bam Adebayo scores 83 in a single game

Jan 27, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (13) dribbles the ball up the court against the Orlando Magic during the second half at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Sometimes you see great performances. Sometimes you see magical ones. However, what we saw on Tuesday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami was beyond crazy. It was downright historic.

In the Miami Heat’s 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards, one man stole the show. If you ever would have thought one player was capable of putting up a gigantic night, players that would have come to mind first would have been Luka, Nikola or Shai. Nope. It wasn’t any of those three. The player who delivered in Tuesday’s tilt was Heat center Bam Adebayo of Newark, New Jersey, who had 83 points!

Adebayo made 20 of 43 field goals, seven of 22 three-pointers, and 36 of 43 three throw attempts. He broke the record for the most free throws made in a game with 36. The old record belonged to small forward Adrian Dantley of Washington, who made 28 free throws in a 116-111 Utah Jazz win over the Houston Rockets on January 4, 1984.

The 83 points Adebayo scored in the game, were the second most points scored by a player in a game ever. The most belongs to Wilt Chamberlain, who had 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169-147 win over the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.

But Chamberlain is considered the second best player of all-time. Before Tuesday, Adebayo would not have cracked the top 750.

With the win, the Heat have now won six straight contests and improve to a record of 37 wins and 29 losses. That is good enough at the moment for the sixth best record in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.