The total is the second-highest scoring game in NBA history. It beats the 81 points scored by the late Kobe Bryant for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Toronto Raptors in 2006. Only Wilt Chamberlain’s famous 100-point game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in 1962 ranks higher.
Adebayo showed early that it would be a big night. He scored 31 points in the first quarter, making 10 of his 16 shots.
By halftime, the 28-year-old center had already scored 43 points. He stayed hot in the third quarter, adding another 19 points to reach 62.
As the game went on, fans began to watch closely to see if he could pass Bryant’s 81-point mark.
Late in the fourth quarter, Adebayo matched Bryant’s total with two free throws. He then scored two more to finish with 83 points with just over a minute left in the game.
He was taken out shortly after, as fans at the Kaseya Center in Miami stood and applauded his performance.
After the game, Adebayo said the moment felt unforgettable.
He said the performance would not have been possible without the support of his teammates, family, and fans.
Adebayo added that he began to feel something special was happening after his strong first half. He described the night as the greatest moment of his career.
He also said passing Bryant’s famous scoring mark felt unreal.
Thinking about Bryant, who died in a helicopter crash in Los Angeles in 2020, Adebayo said he wondered how the basketball legend would have reacted to the performance.
