MIAMI, Florida — Bam Adebayo scored 83 points, the second-best scoring effort in NBA history, to carry the Miami Heat to a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).
Adebayo had 31 points in the first quarter, 43 by halftime and 62 by the end of the third quarter. He finished 20 for 43 from the field, 36 for 43 from the foul line and 7 for 22 from three-point range.
Adebayo’s free throw makes and attempts both set NBA records for a game. The record for attempts was 39 by Dwight Howard — who got to the line that many times on two occasions. The record for free throws made in a game was 28, set by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley.
Chamberlain got 28 free throws on the night he scored 100 points in 1962 — the only game better than Adebayo in NBA history. Adebayo passed his basketball idol, Kobe Bryant, for the second-highest scoring game ever; Bryant’s career-best was 81.
LeBron James had the previous Heat single-game scoring mark; his 61-point effort against Charlotte happened on March 3, 2014. Denver’s Nikola Jokic had the previous season high in the NBA this season with 56.
Adebayo passed them both in the third quarter — and just kept going.
Simone Fontecchio scored 18 points for Miami (37-29), which has won six straight and moved a season-best eight games over .500. The Heat were without Norman Powell (groin), Tyler Herro (quadriceps), Nikola Jovic (back) and Andrew Wiggins (toe).
Alex Sarr had 28 points for the Wizards, who were without Trae Young — held out with right knee injury management. Will Riley added 22 and Jaden Hardy scored 17 for Washington, which has lost nine straight.
Meanwhile, Devin Booker scored 27 points, Jalen Green had 25 and Royce O’Neale, 21, as the Phoenix Suns pulled away in the fourth quarter to win a 129-114 shoot-out with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Phoenix shot 53.9 percent and made a season-high 24 three-pointers on 51 attempts. Milwaukee shot 51.2 percent and went 16 of 38 from three-point range.
In a game that featured 15 ties and 12 lead changes, O’Neale put the Suns ahead for good with a tiebreaking buzzer-beater from about 50 feet to end the third quarter. Phoenix then scored the first seven points of the final period to extend its lead to 107-97.
Phoenix stayed in front by at least seven points the rest of the way.
Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 33 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner each added 22 points. Ousmane Dieng 12 points and 10 rebounds.
