No footage of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game exists, but by all accounts, the Philadelphia Warriors force-fed the Big Dipper down the stretch to help him record the highest-scoring game in NBA history. When Kobe Bryant put up 81, he took 13 of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 17 shots in the fourth quarter and scored his final seven points at the free-throw line.
No one remembers or cares. All that matters is the point total.
Ten, 20, 50 years from now, the same will be true of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point night, which now stands as the second-highest scoring game ever.
Bam Adebayo scores 83 points: Stop complaining about free throws and just enjoy the moment
Sam Quinn
But in the moment, it’s hard to celebrate Adebayo’s historic accomplishment given how it happened. Call me a hater, or miserable, or a thief of joy. That’s fine. Deep down, everyone knows the truth: the shenanigans Adebayo and the Heat were up to down the stretch of their 150-129 over the hapless Washington Wizards were an affront to the game.
Let me draw your attention to this possession with four minutes remaining and the Heat leading by 23. Adebayo sets a screen, pops to the 3-point line and receives a pass from Dru Smith that’s nearly picked off. He takes one dribble and flings up a 3 while flailing his right leg out at 90 degrees to try and draw a foul.
Shameless, but foul-baiting isn’t the worst crime.
Less than two minutes later, Adebayo came off a pindown, got trapped and had to give the ball up. As soon as he got it back, he launched a 3 over three defenders. Airball. The Heat grabbed the offensive rebound and got it back to Adebayo, who quickly fired another 3, this time over two defenders. Another horrible miss, another Heat rebound. This time, Adebayo cut to the basket, took the pass and drew a foul.
Free throws are always a part of huge scoring nights, but Adebayo took things to a different level on Tuesday. His 43 free-throw attempts were a single-game record and 11 more than Chamberlain took in his 100-point game. They accounted for 13.6% of his season attempts and 1.5% of his career attempts.
Adebayo’s seven final points came at the line, and the Heat grew more and more desperate to send him there as time wound down. The Heat intentionally fouled the Wizards multiple times to stop the clock and create extra possessions, intentionally missed a free throw of their own and threw the ball into triple coverage, all in the name of helping Adebayo pass Bryant.
Wizards coach Brian Keefe said it “turned into not a real basketball game” in the fourth quarter. That was an understatement.
Adebayo finished 20 of 43 from the field overall, 7 of 22 from 3-point range and 36 of 43 from the free-throw line. He is the first player in NBA history to score 70-plus points while shooting below 50% from the field, and his 22 3s and 43 free throws are both all-time highs in 70-point outings.
There’s an old adage in golf that there are no pictures on the scorecard. Well, there’s no video on Basketball Reference box scores either. In time, most people won’t remember how Adebayo got to 83 points, only that he did. If I’m around long enough, I’ll probably join that crowd eventually.
But here and now I remember just fine and I have to tell the truth.
Adebayo’s 31-point first quarter was a sight to behold, and his breakaway slam at the end of the third to break LeBron James‘ franchise scoring record of 61 points was a great moment. Everything that came after that point, particularly the final few minutes, was grotesque.
