Gabe Vincent pushed back against criticism of Bam Adebayo’s 83-point performance, questioning why the Miami Heat center’s record-setting scoring night should be viewed differently because of how he accumulated his points.
“Why is it a problem for someone to score more than Kob? He gotta shoot more turnarounds or what?” Vincent said on the Numbers On The Board podcast. “If there was more step backs and crossovers and he had 83, would you like it more?”
Adebayo scored 83 points in Miami’s 150-129 victory over the Washington Wizards on March 10, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81 points for the second-highest scoring total in NBA history. Only Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points in 1962, remains ahead of Adebayo.
The performance also produced three Heat franchise records. Adebayo scored 31 points in the first quarter, 41 in the first half and 83 for the game, setting Miami’s single-game scoring mark.
Adebayo finished 20-of-43 from the field and 7-of-22 from three-point range. He also went 36-of-43 from the free-throw line, setting NBA records for both free throws made and attempted in a game.
The free-throw volume became the primary point of criticism surrounding the performance. Adebayo attempted 43 free throws, while Miami also used deliberate fouls late in the game to regain possession and create additional opportunities for him to score.
Adebayo’s scoring outburst was far removed from his typical offensive production. He averaged 20.1 points per game during the 2025-26 regular season while shooting 44.2% from the field and 31.8% from three-point range across 73 games.
The 83-point game therefore represented 63 more points than Adebayo’s regular-season scoring average. He also attempted 43 field goals and 43 free throws against Washington, producing 86 total scoring attempts.
