Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo made headlines after dropping 83 points in their win over the Washington Wizards at Cassia Center on Tuesday. Adebayo immediately became the biggest story in sports, as many were in disbelief at his unique accomplishment.

Even the GOAT, who has chosen to stay away from the spotlight, took notice.

Many congratulated Adebayo for setting the second-highest scoring game in league history, but arguably the most important of them was none other than NBA legend Michael Jordan.

In an interview with ESPN, Adebayo revealed what Jordan told him during the five-time MVP contacted.

“Just congratulations. Very brief. Short and sweet. You know Mike. He’s not talking much,” Adebayo said.

Bam Adebayo says Michael Jordan reached out to him after his 83-point performance

“If you know Mike, he’s not much of a talker.”

(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)

pic.twitter.com/RWFy4Kksbu

– Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) 12 March 2026

When “his alter ego” moves forward to welcome you, you definitely know you have done something special.

Jordan is quite familiar with Adebayo, as Adebayo is one of the top endorsers of Jordan Brand. He even wore yet-to-be-released Air Jordans against the Wizards.

Some people decried Adebayo’s crazy act. NBA icon Robert Horry said it should have an asterisk because Adebayo shot 43 free throws and “didn’t respect the game.” Meanwhile, Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. claimed that Adebayo was not efficient in scoring 83 points.
Others said Adebayo was merely stat-padding.

However, it cannot be denied that the 28-year-old Adebayo has achieved a rare feat. He still had to make those shots and put in the work. No amount of criticism will erase the fact that Adebayo has rewritten history.

Plus, it already has the Jordanian seal of approval.

While the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo had a historic night by scoring 83 points against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday, March 11, the NBA star is giving credit to his girlfriend, WNBA star A’Ja Wilson.

During a press conference after the game, Adebayo made sure to thank Wilson who was present to witness his historic feat.

“She was complaining about how I got 10,000 points and she wanted me to wait until I got 83 points. [points] “His first game here is very special,” Adebayo told the press.

Wilson was not only present to witness that magical night when Adebayo had the second-highest scoring game in NBA history with 83 points, but he also credits him for everything he did for him.

He said of his girlfriend, “The behind-the-scenes footage, the workouts and the conversations are very inspiring. Obviously, you see what she does and you’re inspired by her every day.” “I’m grateful to have her in my life.”

Adebayo beat his basketball idol, the late Kobe Bryant, who had previously scored 81 points in a single game and ranked No. 2 behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962.

“Wilt, me, then Kobe,” Adebayo said after the game. “It sounds crazy.”

“For me, it was just staying calm, staying locked in and understanding that I could go on to do something special,” Adebayo said. “I didn’t think it was going to be 83. But to have this moment is surreal, because like I said, man, to be able to do it at home, in front of your mom, in front of your people, in front of the home fans, it’s a mark in history that will be remembered forever.”

Adebayo finished the night with impressive stats: 20 of 43 from the field, 36 of 43 from the foul line, 7 of 22 from 3-point range.

On Tuesday evening, the Philadelphia 76ers got back in the win column with a home win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The story of this game was point guard Cameron Payne, who scored 32 points on an astonishing 8-8 shot from beyond the three-point line, giving the 76ers a huge boost after recently signing there.

Unfortunately, Payne’s night, and everything that happened in the NBA on Tuesday, was overshadowed by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point explosion in a blowout win over the Washington Wizards.

However, that wasn’t going to stop Payne from feeling himself after his historic game against Memphis.

“To be honest, I was worried about Cam Payne,” Cam Payne said to the ex, formerly of PhillyVoice, on Twitter, according to Adam Aronson. “Bombs can’t take over my night… March 10th, it’s all me.”

The Grizzlies controlled the game for most of the night before turning out their starters in a blatant tanking effort in the fourth quarter, after which Philadelphia immediately responded with a 20–2 run.

The 76ers learned earlier in the day that star guard Tyrese Maxey will be out of the lineup for at least three weeks after injuring his hand in a recent road loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Philadelphia has been declining in the rankings due to injury absences in recent weeks, with the team being overtaken by the Heat and falling into the play-in region as the season approaches its home stretch.

The 76ers will be desperately hoping that Joel Embiid will be able to return from injury at some point in the near future, and are also counting down the days until Paul George’s suspension ends.

In any case, the 76ers will next take the field on Thursday evening for a tough road game against the Detroit Pistons.

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo scored a career-high 83 points, the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s 81-point performance in 2006. Only Wilt Chamberlain and his 100-point game exceed Adebayo.

In 42 minutes of play, Bam Adebayo finished with 83 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. He shot 20 of 43 from the field, 7 of 22 from three and 36 of 43 from the free throw line in the historic game.

Adebayo set a new record with 43 free throws in a game, surpassing Dwight Howard’s record of 39.

Many players and coaches from around the NBA world reacted to Adebayo’s terrible scoring night, including some of the league’s best scorers.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo offered his support to Adebayo after the Bucks’ home loss to the Phoenix Suns.

“Unbelievable,” Antetokounmpo said. “83 is incredible. It says a lot about his hard work. I haven’t seen the game yet, I have to see the game. He took 43 free throws? It doesn’t matter how you got there. What matters is that you got it. Like 10, 20, 30 years from now, no one will remember how many free throw shots he shot. I don’t think I remember how many shots Kobe shot or how many free throws he made or That’s 81. You don’t remember that, at the end of the day he’s got 83 points. I know he works hard every day.”

Bam Adebayo’s former Olympic teammate in Kevin Durant of the Houston Rockets was also surprised by the accomplishment.

“I couldn’t believe it when I heard it in real time,” Durant said after his team’s game. “It seems like he got 30 in the first quarter. Congratulations to Bam. I know how much he works. I looked at the stat-sheet, it’s crazy. He had 40 shots, 40 free throws, 20 threes. It takes a lot of stamina, a lot of energy to make those shots and then make them, set a record, surpassing Kobe as the second-highest scorer in the history of the game. Congratulations to him. It’s a huge accomplishment.” Which we will always talk about.

I asked Kevin Durant about Bam Adebayo’s 83 point game.

“Something we’ll always talk about.” pic.twitter.com/mRXm3XkBrY

– Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) 11 March 2026

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama appeared to be more dismissive of the accomplishment in his postgame interview after the Spurs defeated the Boston Celtics.

“Yes, I see,” Vembanyama said before pausing. “I think we’re in a league where there’s a lot of inspiration to look at, but yes I looked…”

Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama says Bam Adebayo’s 83-point drop tonight is a source of inspiration:

“We’re playing in a league where there’s a lot of motivation to watch.”@spurfectblog #porvida pic.twitter.com/3HyxcojZT1

– Carolina Teague (@CTtheMicSlayer) 11 March 2026

Rockets head coach Ime Udoka also seemed a little dismissive of the 83-point performance.

“The first thing you think about is how, not because of him, but because of the way he plays,” Udoka said. “I saw he only made six threes, but 40 free throws or something. That tells the story right there. And the Washington Wizards.”

Philadelphia 76ers forward Kelly Oubre expressed another opinion, crediting his Sixers teammate Joel Embiid.

“Well, I’m going to say it’s definitely legendary,” Aubrey said. “Hats off to the box-score, the numbers, and Bam. He’s etched himself in history. I’m sad that he bested Kobe, he’s definitely one of my favorite players, but I’ll just say, Joel did it masterfully and he did it in three quarters.”

Kelly Oubre totally talks about Bam Adebayo scoring 83 points with the mic drop after the game. 🫳🏽🎤

“I’m just going to say that this guy, Joel [Embiid] Did it efficiently, and they did it in three quarters”

(via @CiavoNBA) pic.twitter.com/gnzbi49jvk

— Philly Sports Network (@PhiladelphiaSN) 11 March 2026

Following Anthony Edwards and the Los Angeles Lakers’ home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Lakers head coach JJ Redick explained where he was watching the game from and how he found out about the news.

“It’s incredible what he was able to do,” Reddick said. “I went in and I looked at the score. He was at the free throw line and they’ve been playing great basketball lately. I told my coaching staff, ‘The Heat is on.’ He looked at me and said, ‘Are you kidding right now?’ I said, ‘No, what’s happening?’ They are 36-28, they will be 37-28. And they say, ‘No, Bam has 77.’ And I was like, ‘Huh?!’ I watched the last three minutes and it was a different kind of basketball.

When asked by JJ Redick on Bam Adebayo’s 83-point night @mirjamswanson: :

“It’s unbelievable what he was able to do…I watched the last three minutes and it was a different type of basketball.”#lakers pic.twitter.com/Vk2cvpDFyf

– Carlos Yakimovich (@CarlosYakJr) 11 March 2026

There will surely be more players and coaches shouting out Bam Adebayo’s accomplishment on Wednesday night, but so far, there have been mixed reactions to the Heat star’s 83-point night.

Following his 83-point game, Bam Adebayo is now averaging 20 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 44.8 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from the free throw line.

Regardless of how you feel about Bam Adebayo’s performance against the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night, he still recorded 83 points, the second-highest scoring game by a player in NBA history. It was an incredible moment and accomplishment for Adebayo and the Miami Heat, which is why many, including Giannis Antetokounmpo, will be paying tribute to the Heat star.

Because he was also playing well on Tuesday night, Giannis wasn’t really able to see live what was happening in South Beach on Tuesday night, when Adebayo passed Kobe Bryant’s 81-point mark and fell behind only Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time single-game scoring list. However, Antetokounmpo wants everyone to stop and appreciate what really happened.

More importantly, Giannis doesn’t want the stigma against Adebayo to continue.

“Unbelievable. Incredible. Says a lot about his hard work. I haven’t watched the game. I have to watch the game and see,” Antetokounmpo said of Adebayo’s 83-point game after the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Phoenix Suns 129-114. “It doesn’t matter how you got it. It just means that you got it.”

“In 10, 20, 30 years from now, no one is going to remember how many free throws he shot. I don’t think I remember how many shots Kobe made, or how many free throws he made, or three. You just remember 81, 100. You don’t remember that, you know?”

“It doesn’t matter how you got there… 30 years from now, no one will remember how many free throws he shot… At the end of the day, he got 83 points.”

Giannis at Bam Adebayo’s big night last night.

(via @box)pic.twitter.com/Vjku27KiUl

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

Unlike some players who used their platform to criticize Adebayo’s performance due to his free throws and hunting shots at the end of the game, Giannis Baum can’t respect what he did enough.

Although they may play on different teams and compete against each other in the Eastern Conference, what many people don’t know is that Antetokounmpo and Adebayo have a close relationship with each other. These two NBA All-Stars share the same agent, and they have great respect for each other.

That’s why Giannis Adebayo couldn’t be happier and he won’t tolerate any infamy coming his way.

Antetokounmpo added, “I know his family, his close friends, are extremely excited and happy for him.” “And again, it speaks volumes about his hard work. I know Bam. He works hard every day. He never cheats the game. And to see a guy like him do something like that is incredible.”

Interestingly enough, Adebayo and Antetokounmpo will be playing against each other on Thursday, which will be Bam’s first game after creating history with his 83-point performance.

While Giannis will be celebrating Adebayo’s accomplishment and congratulating him on the accomplishment, the Bucks star sent a humorous message to his friend in Miami ahead of this matchup.

“He’s going to score 82,” Giannis said with a smile. “So, we try our best for him to score 82, not 83.”

The Memphis Grizzlies have been in full-on tank mode in recent weeks as the 2025-26 NBA season reaches its home stretch. These efforts continued on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, with the team leading for most of the game on the road before shamelessly pulling their starters early in the fourth quarter and losing the game.

The Grizzlies shook things up by trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz at the NBA trade deadline last month, with many speculating that a Ja Morant trade could happen soon. While Memphis wasn’t able to do anything on that front, many still believe the Grizzlies have shifted their focus to the post-Morant era, which continued with the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Jeremy Wu, who projected them selecting point guard Mikel Brown Jr. from Louisville.

Wu said on ESPN.com, “Although he is shooting only 41% from the field this season, scouts feel comfortable with his history and his dynamic perimeter shot-making (34% from 3) continues to be a strong attribute.” “…Brown still projects somewhere inside the top 10, with evaluators remaining optimistic on his emergence as a tall (6-5) backcourt playmaker.”

Wu also said that “With Ja Morant’s long-term future uncertain, the Grizzlies should be in best-available mode.”

Some expect the Grizzlies to embark on a full rebuild this offseason, which has already begun with the trades of Jackson Jr. this year and Desmond Benn last offseason. A lot of Memphis’ future prospects may depend on how lucky they are when the NBA Draft Lottery is decided by ping pong balls in two months.

Bam Adebayo did the unthinkable on Tuesday night when he scored 83 points in the Miami Heat’s 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. Despite scoring the second-most points ever in a single NBA game, Washington head coach Brian Keefe didn’t seem too impressed with Adebayo’s performance at the end of the contest.

The 49-year-old head coach credited Adebayo for playing well in the first half of the game. However, during the post-game press conference, Keefe explained that as the game progressed, it began to feel like a fake basketball game, especially in the fourth quarter.

“I give [Adebayo] Credit to the first half, Keefe said. “He hit the ball brilliantly, he scored really well with the ball… [The Heat] Obviously kept him in the game. You know, there were a lot of wrong calls. 16 free throws in the fourth quarter…

“He still got some free throws from 40 feet to the rim. I can’t explain some of those calls… The turnovers and the offensive rebounds, the possession game was definitely important. We only lost the game by seven in the second half, but the fourth quarter turned into a real basketball game.”

“The fourth quarter turned into a real basketball game.”

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe dropped 83 points on his team’s Bam Adebayo 😳

(via @WashWizards)pic.twitter.com/XfrN11UuWM

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

The Wizards coach also pointed to Turnov and offensive rebounding as major reasons for Washington losing the game. Washington turned the ball over 23 times compared to the Heat’s 16, while on the offensive end the team was outscored four times for 15. Ultimately, Keefe claimed that it was a mistake for him and his team to allow Adebayo to take control of the game.

36 of Bam Adebayo’s 83 points came from the free-throw line, a new NBA record for most free throws made in a single contest. The 28-year-old center recorded 21 points from beyond the three-point line, while shooting 31.8% from deep. The remaining 26 points scored by Adebayo came within two-point range, the majority of which were within the key. He also recorded nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block.

The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder are set for one of the biggest matchups of the season on Thursday evening. The Thunder, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, remain in the West standings as the regular season campaign concludes. Meanwhile, the Celtics are business as usual, with Jaylen Brown elevating his play to an MVP-caliber level. But the highly anticipated clash comes with a worrying injury report for the Celtics.

The Celtics released their injury report, with Jayson Tatum and Derrick White both questionable for the matchup. While White is dealing with a right knee injury, Tatum is managing his comeback from his right Achilles injury. While Tatum and White haven’t been completely ruled out, both of their losses could be a blow to the Celtics as they look to take on the reigning NBA champions.

Tatum has been effective in his return from his Achilles injury. Although obviously not putting up his typical MVP stats, he still averaged 19.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. He stepped up in a big way for Boston on Tuesday after Jaylen Brown exited the game late in the second quarter. Tatum had 24 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in a 125–116 loss in 27 minutes of play.

White has been a constant in the Celtics lineup. Playing 63 games this season, he has averaged 17.5 points, 5.7 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. With both White and Tatum out of the lineup, getting a win in Thursday’s game against Oklahoma City could be a tough task.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. will be sidelined for at least two weeks after suffering an elbow injury during Tuesday night’s win over the Memphis Grizzlies.

The injury update came shortly after Philadelphia’s 139–129 win, which improved the team’s record to 35–30 on the season. The veteran swingman delivered one of his most productive performances of the year before the team announced the severity of the injury.

According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Oubre will be reevaluated in about two weeks.

“Philadelphia 76ers swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks after spraining the lateral collateral ligament in his left elbow,” Scotto reported Wednesday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The 30-year-old played a key role in the win over Memphis before his diagnosis. Oubre finished the game with 30 points and 12 rebounds while adding two steals, one block and one assist in 38 minutes.

He shot 10 of 24 from the field, struggled from long range, going 1-of-9 from three-point range, and converted 9 of 11 attempts from the free-throw line in the performance.

Philadelphia 76ers swingman Kelly Oubre Jr. will be reevaluated in about two weeks after spraining the lateral collateral ligament in his left elbow. pic.twitter.com/0M2MI5dBZS

– Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) 11 March 2026

Kelly Oubre Jr.’s absence increases 76ers’ injury challenges during playoff push

Oubre has been a consistent contributor for Philadelphia throughout the season. In 41 appearances, including 36 starts, he averaged 14.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

The veteran guard is shooting 46.3% from the field, while connecting on a career-high 36.9% of his three-point attempts. He has logged 32.4 minutes per game, providing scoring, rebounding and defensive activity on the wing.

His absence caused the 76ers to face injury challenges during the second half of the season. Philadelphia has faced several lineup disruptions as it moves forward in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

After the win over Memphis, the 76ers will hit the road for a brief one-game trip against the Detroit Pistons. The matchup is scheduled for Thursday night at 7:00 PM ET and will stream on Prime Video.

Much has been said about the beginning of Deandre Ayton’s life with the Los Angeles Lakers. Brought in to stabilize center after LA struggled at the position for several seasons, Ayton has had a great season so far, at least on paper.

However, regular misses and a reluctance to adopt a defensive role are also evident, meaning a more long-term solution may still be on the cards. This brings us to the 2026 NBA Draft and the Lakers’ No. 21 pick, which ESPN believes the franchise could use to draft Arizona Wildcats center Motijes Krivas.

Krivas is expected to be one of the many centers to be selected in the 20-40 range in the upcoming draft. However, he has established himself as a regular contributor to his team, averaging 10.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and assists in 31 games.

Standing at 7-foot-2, Krivas is an imposing interior presence and has exactly the type of defensive mentality the Lakers need. Averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, the Wildcats star is fundamentally sound on both ends of the court.

He is a highly efficient shooter who converts nearly 80% of his free throws and has all the ingredients to immediately become a role player on a contending team. Of course, that doesn’t mean L.A. can insert him straight into the starting lineup.

The Lakers could consider adding him as a rotational option alongside Ayton and Jackson Hayes, and he would have a long-term prospect that could even exceed expectations. As far as Ayton is concerned, the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves also provided evidence of motor fluctuations.

Ayton dominated early on, attacking Rudy Gobert in the paint and recorded 12 points and 12 rebounds by halftime. Yet the second part tells a completely different story. Ayton added only 2 points and one steal over the final two quarters, once again showing the kind of inconsistency that has come to define his tenure with the Lakers.

The Knicks are generally careful with basketball. They average 13.7 turnovers per game, eighth-fewest in the NBA. However, when they turn the ball over their performance obviously suffers.

Knicks must limit bad turnover game

In 25 losses this season, the Knicks are averaging 15.5 turnovers per game. When they commit 14 or fewer turnovers they are 30-12, and when they commit 15 or more turnovers they are 11-13. Granted, this is a problem for most teams, as turning the ball over has a zero-sum effect on a team’s ability to score relative to the chances given to their opponents. But the problem isn’t just that New York performs poorly when turning the ball over, which is essentially the case for most teams; This is how many times they exceed their average.

For context, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder committed 15 or more turnovers only 17 times last season. And the 2024 NBA champion Boston Celtics did so only 18 times in 2023-24. By comparison, New York has done it 24 times this season with 15 games remaining.

Why does high turnover lead to poor performance?

The Knicks clearly thrive in a low-turnover, high-efficiency model. Under head coach Mike Brown, the Knicks maintain the fourth-lowest turnover rate in the league. They have an average turnover rate of 10.5% in wins this season; However, in losses this figure has increased to 13.1%.

especially, The points they give up from turnovers present a major problem. When New York turns the ball over, it often turns into scoring opportunities for their opponents. And when the Knicks defense is suffering, which was the case. 2-9 expansion in January 2026, their turnover problems become unsustainable, as they begin to bleed points.

Jose Alvarado could be the key to the Knicks taking care of the basketball

One reason for the Knicks’ inconsistent ball security may be their lack of a true backup point guard. The Knicks’ 2025-26 identity is built on being an offensive juggernaut who makes efficient shots, especially corner threes. When they turn the ball over above their season average, they lose possession games. And because they play on one Slow pace (ranked 21st according to ESPN)Every lost property is magnified.

Fortunately, the addition of Jose Alvarado may have solved this problem. Alvarado has helped New York get a more consistent rotation, taking over playmaking duties when Jalen Brunson needs a break. And it does so efficiently and productively. Alvarado has turned the ball over just 11 times in 14 games with the Knicks. And in those 14 games, New York is 10-4. And if you ignore the last two games – in which the Knicks have turned the ball over 39 times – they are averaging just 13 turnovers per game since adding the New York native.

Ultimately, it seems as if the Knicks’ path to a championship depends on maintaining elite ball protection. If they can take care of the basketball regularly, they will have very few problems in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Conversely, if they fall victim to poor play – as they have recently on a two-game losing streak – it could be a challenging spring for everyone involved.

Throughout his NBA career, Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma has never had to see a shot he didn’t like, and during the team’s game against the Phoenix Suns he reached an important career milestone with 10,000 career points.

After the Bucks’ game, Kyle Kuzma gave a heartfelt reaction to reaching the 10,000 career point plateau.

Kuzma said, “As a kid, I said I had two dreams that I wanted to play in the NBA, and I wanted to score 10,000 points. Random, that’s just how random it happens.” “I knew I was getting close for the last month or so, and I feel like it was yesterday or the day before yesterday… I looked to see how close I was, and I was praying this morning.

“I told God, ‘It would be great if I could score 30 tonight,’ because I knew where I was. And I had 33. Honestly, you can’t beat that.”

Although the Bucks lost the game against the Suns 129–114, Kuzma etched his name in the history books as the latest NBA player to score 10,000 career points. He finished the game with 33 while shooting 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) from the field, 6-of-10 (60 percent) from the 3-point line and 3-of-4 (75 percent) from the free-throw line.

Kuzma’s name came up in trade rumors as the deadline approached, but ultimately nothing materialized and the Bucks retained the veteran forward. Selected 27th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, Kuzma has been a solid double-digit scoring threat throughout his career, helping the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2020 NBA Championship.

This season, Kuzma has been benched, playing in 59 games at a rate of just over 26 minutes per game. He averaged 13.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists with splits of 49.2 percent shooting from the field, 36.5 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 72.4 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo scored 83 against the Washington Wizards, surpassing Kobe Bryant’s epic 81-point game by two points. The Heat controlled the game from beginning to end and won their sixth consecutive victory.

However, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, it may have been better for Adebayo not to chase Bryant’s 81-point total. NBA insiders believe Bryant’s untimely death has overshadowed his most cherished accomplishments as a Lakers superstar.

“Based on human nature, his death puts more weight on each of his best-loved adventures and creates a feeling that they should be handled with a certain kind of care. And judging by the reaction of some of the people from Bryant’s past with whom I was in touch after Adebayo’s exit, this feeling was not unique,” Amick said.

He claimed that Adebayo’s record-breaking night was also the result of ‘stat-chasing’ and that the potential decision to step down would have been seen as a noble decision. Of course, his teammates also ended up committing fouls to help him score points.

“What will be less noted is how the Heat helped Adebayo with his total, drawing intentional fouls in those final minutes to put the game away and ultimately giving him two final free throws with 1:16 remaining before he left.”

Adebayo finished with 20-42 from the field and 7-22 from beyond the arc. They converted 36-43 of their free throws and relied on fouls to keep points.

Amick concluded, “Still, Adebayo’s performance was very different from Bryant’s, and you didn’t have to watch his entire inning to see that much.”

Of course, fans could argue the opposite, and claim the fact that Adebayo passed Bryant was not a case of lack of respect. Given the modern NBA’s consistently huge point totals, Kobe’s record was always in danger.

Throughout the college basketball season, the debate over who should be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft between BYU’s AJ DiBuntsa and Kansas’ Darrin Peterson has occupied the minds of draft experts. But according to ESPN’s Jeremy Wu, the choice between the two new stars could depend on which team actually wins the 2026 NBA Draft lottery.

During Wu’s latest NBA mock draft and lottery simulation, he had the Sacramento Kings take the top pick and select Darrin Peterson. He has the Washington Wizards coming in at No. 2 and selecting Darin Peterson in the NBA Draft.

These selections make sense considering the current rosters of both teams. The Kings’ need for a long-term solution at point guard is no surprise, and Peterson would give them a potential franchise cornerstone. The Wizards made a blockbuster trade at the deadline for a star point guard in Trae Young, and a young wing like DiBantsa who can feed Young the ball is probably more of a necessity.

As Wu reports, “The battle for No. 1 is a close one between Peterson and AJ DiBuntsa, with league sources largely seeing it as a matter of which team will ultimately be picked. Cameron Boozer’s impressive season has also kept him in the debate.”

A few days ago, a scenario was revealed where the Thunder ended up with the No. 1 pick. This will ensure that Cameron Boozer will be in the game in place of both DiBantsa and Peterson.

In any case, this is shaping up to be a very deep and talented draft class, and a prime time to pick a lottery pick, even if the NBA is threatening to crack down on ‘tanking’ in the near future.

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry will miss the next 10 days due to ongoing patellofemoral pain syndrome and a bone bruise in his right knee dating back to Jan. 30, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.

The team said Curry “has been working out individually on the court in recent days”, with the aim of intensifying his workouts as he looks to return to the court, which is a slight improvement from the previous injury update. ESPN was first to report Curry’s latest injury update.

Despite this, Curry has missed 15 consecutive games due to his knee soreness, hurting the Warriors’ playoff chances.

In that span, the Warriors have gone 5-10, falling below .500 for the first time since December. As a result, the Dubs have dropped from eighth to ninth in the West, with the Los Angeles Clippers passing them in the play-in area of ​​the standings.

This puts Golden State in the bottom bracket of the play-in tournament, and if the season ended today, the Warriors would need to win two straight games to secure a playoff spot against the West’s 1-seed.

As far as Curry is concerned, it has been a tough recovery process.

Before this latest update on Wednesday, Curry had not been able to get much work on the court, as the healing process of his knee was “unpredictable” in his own words.

“I’m feeling better. It’s weird. How it’s going to heal is unpredictable,” Curry said on the ESPN broadcast just before the last injury update 10 days ago.

“Progressing every day since All-Star weekend; that’s all I can ask for, and hopefully I’ll be back out there soon… I haven’t been on the court yet, but just trying to stay in shape and strengthen everything else around my body, knowing that at this level, once you get back, it’s an absolute sprint to the playoffs.”

Will Steph Curry return this season?

With the way Golden State’s season has gone, there has been speculation as to whether or not the Warriors will shut down Curry for the remainder of the season.

Although the Warriors are doomed for the play-in tournament and first-round series, one would think it would be best for Golden State to preserve their 37-year-old franchise star for next season. This is especially true given the tempting prospect of getting caught in the NBA Draft Lottery.

But the Warriors are adamant that they don’t plan on tanking this season, and ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel reports that both the Dubs and Curry intend to return before the end of the regular season.

Draymond Green has also made it clear that he has full confidence in Curry’s return this season.

“Finally my confidence level is high,” Green said after the upset win over the Houston Rockets, via ESPN. “Because I know he’s going to put in all the work and do everything he can to come back. If his body allows him to come back, I know, he’ll come back. He doesn’t want to just turn it off.”

Meanwhile, the Warriors’ mentality is that they will just have to walk on water until Curry returns.

Their 5-10 record in his absence has left the water a bit high above their heads. Not to mention consecutive losses to tanking teams in the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls sting. But with Kristaps Porzingis back and encouraging play from youngsters like Gui Santos and Moses Moody, the Warriors are confident they can hold down the fort until he returns.

“For us, just keep swimming,” Green continued. “Nobody expects us to win 10 games, but you just have to hang in there. You can’t let things get too far, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

The Dallas Mavericks are on a tear after losing eight straight games in recent weeks following Tuesday night’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks. At this point, the main things Mavericks fans have to look forward to are the development of star rookie Cooper Flagg and the NBA Draft Lottery, which is scheduled to take place in May.

At the trade deadline, the Mavericks opted to reduce their losses from the Luka Doncic trade by sending big man Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, although they surprised some by grabbing injured point guard Kyrie Irving, who will not play this season as he recovers from ACL surgery.

Recently, ESPN NBA insider Jeremy Wu released his mock draft for 2026, and he asked the Mavericks to select Irving’s long-term replacement by taking Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh pick.

Wu said on ESPN.com, “Acuff was named SEC Player of the Year after a stellar season that solidified him as a lottery pick. His ability to navigate tight spaces on the court, create his own offense and find teammates has been a major differentiator.”

Wu also reported that “Dallas is another potential point guard landing spot, with Kyrie Irving now 33 and the Mavs building around the emerging Cooper Flagg. Finding a long-term starter at the position would be a coup for their future.”

Indeed, Irving doesn’t necessarily fit the timeline of the Mavericks, who have fully embraced a rebuild around Flagg, whom they selected as the number one overall pick last year.

Adding Acuff would give the Mavericks another building block as an electric scorer who can put consistent pressure on opposing defenses, and give Flagg more room to operate.

The NBA lottery is scheduled to take place on May 10.

Bam Adebayo took the NBA world by storm by scoring 83 points against the Washington Wizards, which is now the second most points ever recorded in a single game. He’s now in the history books between Wilt Chamberlain and Kobe Bryant, and that’s something no one can take away from him.

There are still people who will try to discredit what he did, and that’s been happening a lot since he made history. One reason for this is that he surpassed Bryant, and some people think it is outrageous that he broke his record, especially the way he did it.

Lou Williams, who had the chance to play with and against Bryant, had a message for those who are complaining about Adebayo’s historic night.

“If you’re a true Kobe Bryant fan, and you respect Kobe Bryant, you know that Kobe Bryant constantly hunted records and history, and he wanted those things,” Williams said on the Run It Back show. “That’s what we sign up for. We sign up to be competitive, that’s who we are. So if you really respect Kobe Bryant, you know he has a Mamba mentality. I promise you, he was going to get those 100 points; he wasn’t thinking about Wilt Chamberlain. He was thinking about getting a record. That’s who he was as a competitor.

“If you’re a true Kobe Bryant fan, and you respect Kobe Bryant, you know that Kobe Bryant constantly chased records and history.”

Lou Williams complained about fans dropping Bam Adebayo’s 83 points and Kobe’s 81 points.

(via @RunItBackFDTV)pic.twitter.com/ays4lp8Za3

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 11 March 2026

“For anyone watching this, it’s just disrespectful to Kobe Bryant, who just has a history of being revisionist. That guy wanted to take everybody’s head off. So if you respect him, cherish him, and love him the way you do, know that he would have hunted anybody down.”

Bryant was definitely the ultimate competitor, and he was going to do anything to win. That’s why Williams thinks people shouldn’t complain about Adebayo, because Bryant would have done the same if he had the chance.

While many NBA veterans celebrated Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo’s historic 83 points, a fair share of the negativity originated from fans of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant. It was Bryant’s 81 points that Adebayo surpassed, and count former Lakers forward and Bryant’s former teammate Robert Horry as someone who wasn’t exactly thrilled with the performance.

During a segment on Spectrum Sportsnet, Robert Horry criticized Bam Adebayo’s 83 points during the Heat’s win against the Washington Wizards, citing the alleged manner in which he accomplished the historic feat.

Horry said, “83 points is impressive. But it gets to a point where you have to respect the game. And I think there were moments in this game where it wasn’t respected.” “83 points is a lot, I appreciate the effort, and it’s going to go down as the second-most points in the game. But it’s like you always say on certain things, there should be an asterisk by it, I’m putting an asterisk by it. It’s still a lot. I’m not taking anything away from Bam, it’s a lot.”

There is no doubt that what Horry was referring to was the end of the game in which the Heat intentionally fouled to extend the game and gain additional possessions to help Adebayo break Bryant’s record.

Adebayo’s historic night gives him the second-most points scored by an individual player behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100. He is now only one of three players to reach 80 or more points in a single game. Meanwhile, there are a few players who have hit 70 and above, including current players Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard as well as former players Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, David Robinson and David Thompson.

Tuomas Isalo has never been one to shy away from discussing the nitty-gritty of basketball, but his latest criticism touches on a trend that has increasingly frustrated NBA coaches. However, the Memphis Grizzlies are currently suffering the most, as they are effectively operating without a frontcourt. Their small-ball lineup without Ja Morant has been an easy target for opponents and officials, who have penalized overzealous, over-competing defenders.

Extensive practice on proper technique is one thing. NBA referees require a little more finesse to see things their way. Unfortunately, Isalo can’t point at the jumbotron without getting the Grizzlies in technical foul trouble. People who wear stripes hate to show off, but Memphis is throwing its hands up in anger after a recent 50-50 call.

“One of the things we’ve been good at this year, and we’ve practiced a lot, is showing our hands when there’s contact,” Isalo stressed. “I thought (against the Clippers), every time I look at the video board where they show the replays, there’s a foul on the drive.”

In two recent home losses, the Grizzlies were called for more fouls than the Portland Trail Blazers (23-22) and LA Clippers (29-20). It’s been even worse in road losses against the Minnesota Timberwolves (26-24) and Philadelphia 76ers (31-25). Even the recent win over the Dallas Mavericks (26-13) was a thrilling whistle-fest for Isalo. Being called for double violations despite having a drive-heavy game plan is almost unheard of in today’s NBA.

It’s hard to see, even if fans are rooting for the tank action to succeed. Intentionally engineering contact to cause fouls rather than executing a basketball game is either an art form or just ugly, unethical basketball. It depends on who you ask about a particular play and when. It can’t be denied that finding ways to make contact and get whistled is what smart players do to produce within the existing framework.

That’s why those ‘skills’ have come off the bench at this point.

“Our hands were outside the cylinder, and they were in the cookie jar,” Isalo said. “Players have become so skilled in this league that they can understand that situation and utilize it. And it’s not just the best offensive players. It’s one in 15 guys that are able to read that if your hand is on the body, they’re going to make that contact.”

Isalo stopped short of blaming officials for poor decisions, noting that calls are being made consistently throughout the league. Still, the pattern troubles him from a purist’s point of view. But what can be done?

Grizzlies get NBA attention

The NBA has attempted to address foul-batting before. Ahead of the 2021–22 season, the league announced an interpretive change in the role of “overt, sudden or unusual non-basketball moves by offensive players” with the ball in an attempt to draw a foul. Ahead of the 2023–24 season, he initiated a technical foul for flopping on a one-year trial basis, later made permanent.

That’s why Isalo noted that the issue is not with the consistency of whistleblowers or officials individually, but with the interpretation of the rule.

“It’s called consistently. I’m not a big fan of some of the interpretations because it seems like guys are just reaching for the foul instead of playing basketball. But it’s been extremely consistent in the way it’s been called. We’ve got to do a better job of doing that as a team and as a coaching staff doing that.”

Isalo’s comments reflect broader tensions throughout the NBA, where offensive players have increasingly mastered the art of using body contortions, sudden stops and subtle arm hooks to draw defenders into contact. Critics argue that this strategy slows down the game and rewards manipulation rather than skill, while others argue that it is simply smart, within-the-rules play. After months of feedback, the answer is not to lobby for a rule change mid-season, but to adapt.

This is perhaps the last useful test to find a silver lining in the season. These Grizzlies need to get better at playing inside and exploiting the same system that is currently working against them. Figuring out those subtle incentive structures on both ends of the court is probably the last intelligence Jaylen Wells and Cedric Coward need to really run the wings.

There is no doubt that Bam Adebayo’s 83-point performance for the Miami Heat on March 10 was one of the best individual performances in NBA history. His scoring explosion resulted in him ranking second all-time in single-game scoring, behind only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. While monster scoring games have become more common in recent years, it was rare to see players exceed the 60-point threshold after Chamberlain’s playing days ended. After all, the greatest center of all-time scored 60 or more points 32 times out of 92 ever.

Sure, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in 2006, but it wasn’t until Devin Booker’s 70-point performance on March 24, 2017, that extremely high-scoring affairs really started happening with more regularity. As impressive as Adebayo, Booker and other 70-plus point games in recent history were, it’s also clear that many of these scoring outputs were a bit inflated. Late-game machinations resulted in a monster scoring performance that turned out to be something else entirely. Adebayo and Booker similarly went from playing basketball at the highest level for most of the game, then taking part in what some saw as not actually playing actual basketball, in pursuit of the record books.

Both players turned in their iconic performances, as well as their respective teams, to score 70 points (Booker) and surpass Bryant’s scoring mark (Adebayo) late in the game. So, were these late pranks worth it?

A look at the career nights of Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo

As mentioned above, in 2017, such high-scoring games weren’t really as important as they are now. Booker was the leader in that regard as he scored 70 points. Therefore, it was necessary to take a page out of Chamberlain’s book and draw the number 70 on a piece of paper. Booker scored 70 in his second season in the league at just 20 years old, making him not only the youngest 70-point scorer, but also the youngest player to cross the 60-point mark.

His Phoenix Suns were not very good at that time, so Booker had to carry a heavy burden for the team. He wasn’t actually to blame for Phoenix losing that match, as the shooting guard really did everything in his power to try to lead his team to victory. Still, knowing that it ended in a relatively decisive defeat takes away a bit of the charm from Booker’s performance.

While Booker was playing a huge game regardless, a lot of his points didn’t come until the last few minutes of the game when it was already getting out of hand. He had 19 points at halftime and 42 points by the end of the third quarter. He then broke the franchise scoring record with 61 points at the 1:49 mark. From there, Booker scored 70 points, hitting one shot after another with less than two minutes remaining. No one on his team was attempting to score, even if it meant giving his team a better chance of realistically coming back.

The same thing was happening in Adebayo’s iconic game. His Heat teammates were even intentionally missing free throws to give Adebayo a potential chance to get more possessions and shots. Adebayo was also clearly foul-baiting in order to get to the free throw line at the end of the game. Some would argue that it destroys the prestige and honor of the glorious game of basketball.

Adebayo scored his 79th point with 2:05 left in the game, surpassing Chamberlain for third most points ever. He tied Bryant with 81 points at the 1:37 mark, and the 82nd and 83rd points took him into sole possession of the second-highest scoring game of all time at the 1:16 mark.

While Adebayo was clearly unconscious from everywhere on the floor all night, all six of those record-breaking late-game points came from the charity stripe. The Heat also won in blowout fashion, 150-129. While Adebayo was often singled out because of that wasted time, it should be appreciated that his scoring directly led to a huge win.

Regardless, what Adebayo and Booker did was impressive, no matter how you try to spin it. No one else has ever scored 83 points for some reason. Despite what some would consider borderline unethical play late, both players were clearly playing incredible games. Whatever happens, they deserved to have their names entered in the record books.

Jayson Tatum criticized officiating after the Boston Celtics’ 125-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, calling the refs “trigger happy” after teammate Jaylen Brown was ejected early in the game.

Brown was ejected after receiving two technical fouls during the contest, limiting the Celtics star to just 15 minutes of action. Tatum, who recently returned from an Achilles tear last spring, addressed the situation after the game.

“I disagree with that. You know, the NBA makes a big deal about prime time games and stars playing and being available… He was definitely pushed and maybe the first tech was necessary, the emotions were too high.”

Tatum continued to raise questions over the timing of his ejection during the nationally televised matchup.

“National TV game, the two best teams in the league and you make a big deal about the stars playing and you’re happy to take someone out of the game. I disagree with that.”

Brown’s frustration began after a sequence in which he believed he was fouled out of bounds by Spurs guard Stephen Cassel. After the game, Brown confronted crew chief Tyler Ford by pointing at him, causing the first technical foul.

“National TV game, the two best teams in the league and you make a big deal about the stars playing and you’re happy to take someone out of the game. I disagree with that.”

Jayson Tatum on Jaylen Brown’s ejection at Celtics-Spurs last nightpic.twitter.com/dzbBeYlm9v https://t.co/CjynsnpBNR

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

The Celtics guard remained visibly upset and argued with officials as teammates attempted to calm him down. Umpire Suyyash Mehta later assessed a second technical foul, resulting in Brown being sent off.

Officials explain Jaylen Brown’s removal because Jayson Tatum disagreed

Brown finished the night with eight points, seven assists, two rebounds and one steal while making 4 of 8 shots from the field.

Ford later explained the officiating team’s decision in the league’s pool report.

“(The first technical was) for aggressively gesturing and using profanity and outrage without a call,” Ford said in the pool report, via NBA insider Brett Siegel for ClutchPoints. “(The second technical was called because) he aggressively approached a game official, pointing and using profanity.”

Tatum, playing his third game back from injury, led Boston with 24 points while adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. The 27-year-old shot 10 of 24 from the field and 4 of 14 from three-point range in 27 minutes.

Despite Tatum’s efforts, Boston was unable to overcome Brown’s absence for most of the game. The loss dropped the Celtics to 43–22 on the season.

Boston will try to regroup on Thursday night when it concludes its three-game road trip against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who enter the matchup with a 51-15 record. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 pm ET on Prime Video.

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo delivered one of the most historic scoring performances in NBA history on Monday night, but ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith directed most of the post-game discussion toward the Washington Wizards’ defense following Miami’s 150-129 win.

Adebayo scored 83 points – the second-highest scoring total in NBA history – leading the Heat to their sixth consecutive win, drawing widespread reaction throughout the league. During Tuesday’s broadcast of ESPN’s First Take, Smith criticized the Wizards’ defensive effort, arguing that Washington offered little resistance as Adebayo put up points all night.

Smith made his comments while discussing the game with co-host Chris Russo.

“It’s not Bam Adebayo’s fault. Brother had 31 points in the first quarter, he had 43 points at halftime, he had 62 points in three quarters, he had 70 points with nine minutes left. It’s not his fault the Washington Wizards suck. It’s not his fault you really got him a career night because he hasn’t put up much resistance in a while.”

Adebayo’s scoring progression reflects the dominance referenced by Smith. The 28-year-old started the game with 31 points in the first quarter and reached 43 points at halftime. He had 62 points entering the fourth quarter and crossed the 70-point mark with nine minutes remaining.

“It’s not like that [Bam’s] The blame is that the Washington Wizards suck. …I’m not blaming Bam Adebayo for this. Congratulations to him. This is his moment.”

—@stephensmith On 43 free throw attempts in Bam Adebayo’s 83-point performance 🏀 pic.twitter.com/vEEFAxwHKh

– First Tech (@FirstTech) 11 March 2026

Stephen A. Smith says Wizards defense ‘tainted’ Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point game

Smith also suggested that the circumstances surrounding the conclusion of the game contributed to the historic score.

“Then you’re talking about the Cats that are deliberately hitting people with fouls to get more possessions to give Bam Adebayo a chance at the record and things like that. Obviously he’s tarnished it, it’s not his fault. He went out there and did what he was supposed to do. And even though he didn’t shoot 50% from the field – last time I checked, shooting 48% from the field. 47% shots aren’t bad either. He shot 20 out of 43, right? It wasn’t like he shot 13 for 43.

Adebayo finished the night with 83 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks in 42 minutes. He shot 20 of 43 from the field, 7 of 22 from three-point range, and 36 of 43 from the free-throw line, while posting a team-best plus-20 rating.

Smith compared the performance to Kobe Bryant’s famous 81-point game in 2006, noting the difference in reaction from opposing defenses.

“When Kobe did that, he did it in the flow of his game and in the game itself. It got to the point where they were giving him the rock because they knew Kobe was going for it. He made 28 of 46 shots, 7 of 13 threes, he was in attack mode. I know Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell… what did he say? We did everything, we doubled him. We did everything we could. We changed the guards on that.

Smith says Heat star should be celebrated

Smith followed up his criticism of the Wizards by defending Adebayo’s performance.

“Obviously that was not the case with Bam Adebayo last night. But you can point the finger [Erik] Spoelstra, you can point the finger at his teammates, you can point the finger at how brutal the Washington Wizards were last night and it will be a stain on their franchise for years to come. But you can’t blame Bam Adebayo because obviously he was doing it and knew it from the first quarter because he had never seen a game like this in his life.

Despite Smith’s criticism of Washington, he stressed that Adebayo’s accomplishment deserves recognition.

“But this is a day where he should be celebrated because he’s one of those good guys who grabs his lunch bill and comes to work every day and does his best… Congratulations to him. This is his moment.”

The performance added another milestone to Adebayo’s season. Through 58 games, the Heat center is averaging 20 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals, while shooting 44.8% from the field and 32.9% from three-point range.

Miami improved to 37-29 with Monday’s win, extending its winning streak to six games and moving into the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.

Victor Wembanyama may be one of the NBA’s best players, but he’s also a basketball fan like the rest of us. That’s why Wembley, like many people around the world, was watching Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point performance for the Miami Heat on Tuesday night, the second-highest scoring game in NBA history.

Adebayo, who made history on Tuesday night, has mesmerized NBA players, personnel and fans, leading to a variety of opinions regarding his 83-point game.

Some, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, have saluted Bam’s performance, claiming it to be an “incredible” accomplishment. There are also those who are dismissing this performance and claiming that Adebayo did not properly score 83 points due to his 43 free-throw attempts.

And then there’s Wembanyama, who basically ignored what Adebayo did and didn’t actually give his opinion on the 83 points.

“Yeah, I saw (it),” Wembanyama said of Adebayo’s game on Tuesday night before a long pause. “We play in a league where there’s a lot of motivation to watch. But yes, I watched.”

“I think we play in a league where there’s a lot of motivation to watch… but yes, I watched.”

Wembey on whether Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game will propel him to chase the scoring record 🗣

(via @spurs)pic.twitter.com/gqQ7V4BBxz

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

Of course, Wembanyama ended his answer in the most Wembey way possible and shrugged his shoulders and moved on to the next question about the San Antonio Spurs’ big 125-116 win over the Boston Celtics, which extended the Spurs’ winning streak to five games.

Although he’s not as animated or critical in his press conferences as Gregg Popovich was throughout his years with the Spurs, Wembanyama has never been one to share his full thoughts on things. He gives cryptic answers about his greatness, and that’s why we shouldn’t have expected anything different from his answer about Bam Adebayo on Tuesday night.

Perhaps Wembley leans one way or the other regarding Bam’s 83-point performance, but his answer was spot-on in the sense that he understands his opinion doesn’t really matter. Adebayo scored 83 points, whether people want to admit it or not, and for Wembley, this performance has no impact on him or the Spurs’ season.

That’s why his reply was short and sweet, with no additional context, sarcasm or anything of that nature.

Will Vembanyama use this as additional motivation to chase his scoring record? It’s certainly possible, but Wemby isn’t one to let the accomplishments of others dictate his career path.

Given the Spurs’ success this season and his own personal accolades, Wembanyama has more to worry about than Adebayo’s amazing performances for the Heat. And so, his response and shrug regarding Bam’s 83 points is exactly what one should have expected from Wembanyama.

The Atlanta Hawks are on a seven-game winning streak and are trying to make the playoffs with just over a month remaining in the season. This is a unique situation for the Hawks, as they are able to compete this season, while also having a chance to acquire the top pick in this year’s NBA Draft after acquiring the rights to the New Orleans Pelicans’ pick.

If the Pelicans don’t have a great record, the lottery odds could be in the Hawks’ favor, and they could add a top prospect to a team that already has a bright future.

In the latest ESPN mock draft, their pick landing at No. 6, and they have the Hawks selecting Illinois point guard Keaton Wagler.

Jeremy Wu wrote, “Wagler’s unexpected rise from off-the-radar recruit to Big Ten Freshman of the Year has given him a chance to be the second guard off the board.” “His size at his position – 6-foot-6 – 3-point shooting (41%) and impeccable playmaking puts him ahead of the curve developmentally.

“Gaining strength to navigate the paint better and becoming a better defender are also long-term keys. He is the least dynamic athlete at guard in this group, but the blueprint is in place for him to become an NBA backcourt fixture.”

The Hawks are moving on from a dynamic point guard in Trae Young this season, they need to find a way to add to that position this offseason, and Wagler could be a start. The big thing for Wagler is that he is 6’6 inches tall and can shoot the three ball in a row.

The Hawks are already a team that shoots the ball a lot, and his defensive ability could help him fit in immediately. While he may not be the hottest guard in the draft, he has everything the Hawks need in a guard.

The Miami Heat became the center of attention in the NBA world on Tuesday evening when center Bam Adebayo scored an astonishing 83 points in a home win over the Washington Wizards. The scoring explosion put Adebayo past Kobe Bryant, who famously scored 81 points 20 years ago, as the second-most points ever, behind only Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 100 points in a game.

Almost immediately after the game ended, some fans on the Internet, particularly Bryant and Los Angeles Lakers fans, began searching for ways to discredit Adebayo’s performance, with some pointing to the star’s over 40 free throw attempts in the game, as well as the fact that this outburst occurred against the tanking Washington Wizards.

Things got weird late in this one, with the Heat opting to keep Adebayo in the game in the blowout zone in an attempt to clinch the record. The Wizards then began calling fouls to put Adebayo’s Heat teammates on the line to prevent Adebayo from scoring, after which Miami players began intentionally missing free throws to get the ball back.

This is in contrast to Bryant’s game against the Raptors, in which the Lakers trailed for most of the evening and needed every one of the Star’s 81 points to win, leading some to conclude that Bryant’s historic game was more “moral” than the one produced by Adebayo.

While this may be true in the purest basketball terms, it shouldn’t take away from what Adebayo has accomplished. The Stars had 31 points in the first quarter alone, and it’s also important to note that 29 other teams play the Wizards, and none have come close to matching Adebayo’s output.

It is also worth remembering that Chamberlain was reported to have done a huge amount of stat-padding in his attempt to score 100 points, even having the opponent deliberately foul him to get him over the line.

Years from now, most fans will likely remember Adebay’s extremely difficult score, not the means by which he got there, even if they look a little sketchy at the moment.

The Detroit Pistons’ terrible losing streak has finally ended. After losing four consecutive games, Detroit got back on its winning streak with a 138–100 loss against the Brooklyn Nets.

The Pistons returned to their winning identity, marked by the impressive performance of their All-Star center, Jalen Duren. The fourth-year big man gave the Nets all he could handle, scoring 26 points on 9-10 shooting from the field. Duren also had a solid bounce-back game defensively, adding two steals and two blocks to her stat line.

Duren’s big night is fueling some big encouragement from his team into the Most Improved Player conversation. Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham gave him big support during a postgame conversation with the media after the win against the Nets.

“I think the proof is in the pudding. As far as the leaps he’s made, how much teams respect him this year compared to last year. I believe their game plan is different. I think he’s making leaps in a lot of different ways,” Cunningham explained via Coty M. Davis. “This group, we don’t really like to talk about it. We just like to go out and try to show it. If my words mean anything, I think it’s obvious.”

Duren has the current lead as the betting favorite for the award on FanDuel. He currently averages a career-high 18.6 points per game, an increase of nearly seven points from last season.

Detroit’s star center has also been a monster on the glass, ranking in the top ten in rebounds with 10.6 per game. This has helped him make 31 double-doubles this regular season. He is also showing significant growth defensively, individually and as a team defender. Duren is posting the best defensive rating of his career at 107.2. This rating has been a major reason behind the Pistons’ current position as the second-highest rated defense in the NBA.

What did JB Bickerstaff say about Jalen Duren?

This successful campaign helped Duran earn his first selection as an NBA All-Star. His growth has also been a major catalyst behind Detroit’s rise as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference. Pistons head coach JB Bickerstaff also took time to advocate for Duren’s candidacy for the Most Improved Player award after his game against Brooklyn.

Bickerstaff told the media, “I think it’s easy if you watch us play and if you watch us play consistently over the last year and a half or two years. The steps he’s taken from the beginning of last year to this year have made him an All-Star and a dominant force on both ends of the floor.” “You have to recognize a guy who works so hard and give him credit for the work he did over the summer to get better and understand what he wants to do this year. And I’ll say it again, his stats are not hollow. His stats impact winning, too.”

With only 18 regular season games left, Duren could end up being in the conversation for the award with a strong finish to the season. Rising stars like Jalen Johnson, Keyontae George, Ryan Rollins and others are making a push but the consistency of Duren and the Pistons gives them a respectable edge at this point.

On Tuesday evening, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo had a night in the history books by scoring 83 points against the Washington Wizards, the second-most in NBA history. This historic game takes him ahead of Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 on the Toronto Raptors in January 2006, with only Wilt Chamberlain now surpassing him in scoring 100 points.

Adebayo has been in a highly publicized relationship with WNBA star A’Ja Wilson for some time now, and the reigning Finals MVP was in attendance to watch Adebayo torch the Wizards in Miami on Tuesday. In fact, according to a post by Legion Hoops on X, formerly Twitter, both Wilson and Adebayo now hold active scoring records for their respective leagues.

Sure, Adebayo scored 83 points in Tuesday’s loss to the Wizards, while Wilson scored 53 points against the Atlanta Dream in 2023.

Adebayo’s huge night has opened up a circle of discussion in the NBA world, with some believing that the method by which he scored 83 points, including over 40 free-throw attempts, and the team kept him in the game through garbage time in pursuit of the record, was not necessarily “ethical.”

However, years from now, fans will likely remember the landmark point, not the means by which it was achieved.

Meanwhile, the Heat’s win over the Wizards gave them their sixth consecutive win and moved them into a virtual tie with the Toronto Raptors for fifth place in the Eastern Conference. While this would be a stretch before the bracket tightens up to be able to reach as high as Miami, it’s still an impressive turnaround for a Heat team that hasn’t always been the model of consistency this season.

The Heat will next take the field on Thursday evening for a home game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points on March 2, 1962. This is an NBA record and is considered one of the most unbreakable achievements in all of sports. Kobe Bryant was second on the single-game scoring list for a long time, as he scored 81 points on February 22, 2006. No one thought that this figure would also be crossed. Bam Adebayo did the unthinkable on March 10, 2026, dropping 83 points.

The Miami Heat center is a great player and one of the best in the league. However, he is far from the first player that fans would have guessed could have such an insane scoring game. In fact, Adebayo is probably more known for his defensive ability, and his career high was just 41 points before scoring 83 points.

The point is, if Adebayo can score 83 points, there are definitely other players who can surpass the 80-point threshold in the modern NBA. Perhaps Chamberlain’s 100-point record is not as secure as previously thought. So, which NBA players are most likely to score more than 80 points in a game in the next one?

Stephen Curry has a career high of 62 points. He’s an all-time great and arguably the best point guard of all time, but in reality, he’s probably past his peak. Because of that, since he has yet to score even 70 points in a game, he may not be able to do so at some point in the future. Still, the mathematics behind his game needs to be included in this list.

Curry is the best 3-point shooter in NBA history. Fans have seen him go hot many times before, and his 4,233 3-pointers in his career are 891 more than second place. Curry doesn’t just make wide-open ones. He gets up and makes shots from beyond the arc, and he can intercept long bombs off speed and go off balance to the point where defenders can’t really guard him; They just have to pray he misses.

Even at the age of 37, fans can expect a lot more amazing shooting performances from Curry, and perhaps he can take it to the next level after seeing Adebayo’s performance. It helps Curry’s case that he is more than just an outside shooter. He can get anywhere on the court with one of the best handles in NBA history, and he is well known for making circus shots, which will definitely help his 80-point goal. Curry has previously mentioned playing in a flow state, and if he just focused on scoring on the night he was unconscious, he could have scored 80 points.

Although they didn’t make this list, Joel Embiid, Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell have all crossed the 70-point threshold before, so they shouldn’t be counted out of scoring 80 points in a day. Anthony Edwards is already one of the best scorers in the league, and Nikola Jokic deserves praise as well.

While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made a stronger claim than ever as the best player in the NBA by hitting the game-winning shot over the Denver Nuggets on March 9, Jokic is still viewed as the unanimous best player in basketball nearly half a decade on. Part of what makes him great is that he’s the best passing big man ever, and his unselfish nature will likely keep him from scoring 80 points. However, Jokic’s touch is unmatched.

He can punch his way under 80 points while hitting deep shots as one of the NBA’s best 3-point shooting bigs, while hitting one-legged slingshot somber shuffles that leave defenders with their hands over their faces in frustration. Again, Jokic’s passing ability means an 80-point performance is unlikely, but he may have the skill set to achieve it if he ever wants to, and a fellow center scoring 83 points in Adebayo only creates more realism for this possibility.

Curry’s former teammate Kevin Durant is also one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. In fact, many fans have voted him the greatest pure scorer of all time, with NBA GOAT Michael Jordan being the only player to give him a run for his money. Durant is reported to be 6 feet 9 inches tall, but in reality, he may be closer to 7 feet.

Despite this, there is no shot that Durant cannot make, which makes him truly vulnerable. He can score from mid-range, with his back to the basket, or from beyond the 3-point arc, and he hasn’t really stepped back since tearing his Achilles. Surprisingly, Durant has never even scored 60 points in a game.

His career-high in terms of scoring is just 55 points, as he has always focused on efficiency and never just conceded jack up shots. However, that doesn’t mean he isn’t one of the most likely players to score 80 points in a game. If Durant ever changes his mentality and wants to score as many points as possible, he has the scoring nature to go crazy, and there are not many players who can guard him.

In the event that Durant surpassed his career highs and defenses began to find a way to slow him down, he became too fast for the big men to guard him, and he could make his shot above most guards and wings. Durant’s 80-point game would be surprising considering he’s never gotten that close to that mark before, but it would be far less surprising than when Adebayo did it.

Devin Booker has been responsible for several all-time high-scoring games during his career. The most memorable thing is that the Phoenix Suns guard scored 70 points in 2017. His team wasn’t very good back then, which led to the Kentucky product getting the final nod. Sixty-plus, 70-plus, and now, 80-plus point scoring games were not as common then as they are becoming more so now, however, which required Booker to imitate Chamberlain and demonstrate his high scoring output in pencil on a piece of paper in the locker room after the game.

Booker is still an elite scorer after all these years. He is averaging 24.9 points per game this year due to an excellent mid-range shot and ability to go downhill and score in the painted area. Over the last few years, it didn’t seem like Booker would be able to surpass his own 70-point game, let alone score 80 points a night. This was because he shared the court with the aforementioned Durant as well as Bradley Beal.

Now with those two gone, Booker has a clear mandate to be the top option in Phoenix. The rest of his team is filled with serious role players who don’t mind doing the dirty work, so it’s not hard to imagine a game in which Booker takes a high volume of shots while his teammates do their best to create extra possessions and get him open looks.

Adebayo fell short of Chamberlain’s single-game scoring record, but he followed up several iconic performances by dropping 83 points on the Washington Wizards. Of course, there was Bryant’s aforementioned 81-point performance, but Chamberlain also had another iconic scoring game in which he scored 78 points. Adebayo also beat Luka Doncic’s 73-point performance to tie for fifth all-time.

Doncic has proven he can get close to scoring 80 points. He has a methodical style of play that is difficult to defend. Doncic gets up and makes shots from beyond the 3-point arc, and his step-back is one of the best moves in basketball. He also has some of the best touches in the league. Doncic currently leads the NBA in scoring with 32.5 points per game.

Additionally, LeBron James is nearing retirement, and once one of the greatest players in NBA history is retired, there will be even more shots for Doncic. Then again, maybe the Slovenian star will get to 80 points before his partner in crime retires. After all, James is an incredible playmaker who demands attention on defense, which will make life easier on Doncic.

There is no denying that Victor Vembanyama is the future of the NBA. The French star, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs, stands 7 feet 4 inches tall. On the one hand, this has quickly made him one of the best defenders in the NBA, and he could take home Defensive Player of the Year awards on a consistent basis.

However, Vembanyama is also a unicorn when it comes to crime. Despite his size, Vembanyama has guard-like skills. He can hit step-back jumpers, put the ball on the floor and create rebounds, and hit fadeaways and turnarounds. Of course, Vembanyama’s size allows him to score inside with ease, as he barely has to try to dunk over anyone.

It’s going to be a night where Vembanyama will have serious mismatches and opposing teams will be unable to stop him. In that case, Vembanyama could potentially score 80 points, which would indicate that the future is now.

The defending MVP is on his way to winning his second consecutive award for being the best player in the NBA after his elite performance in which he scored 35 points en route to hitting the game-winner against the Nuggets. Gilgeous-Alexander is in his fourth consecutive season averaging more than 30 points per game.

He led the league with 32.7 points per game last year and his 31.7 points per game this year are the second-most. If the Oklahoma City Thunder did not have the deepest rotation in the league, one has to imagine this figure would be much higher. The Thunder have 13 or 14 players who can be in each team’s 10-man rotation, which means there are plenty of players to feed off. If Gilgeous-Alexander plays on a bad team, it’s not hard to imagine him averaging 40 points per game, and it’s almost less hard to imagine him scoring 80 points in a single game.

The MVP can really score whatever he wants. He has a reliable 3-point shot and is one of the best middies in the league. He probably scores better at the rim than any other guard, and he gets to the free throw line more often. If anyone is going to score 80 points again, or potentially even try to surpass Adebayo’s historic performance, it will surely be Gilgeous-Alexander.

Injuries continue to be an issue for the Chicago Bulls, especially to newcomers. Jaden Ivey and Anfernee Simmons are both out with injuries. Now, Rob Dillingham has faltered.

Dillingham suffered a strange wrist injury during Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Although the Bulls won 130-124 in OT, concerns about the health of players are more uncertain than ever.

Afterwards, according to Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune, head coach Billy Donovan provided an analysis of Dillingham’s injury. Necessarily saying it’s not terrible, but he needs time to get back into the team.

“It’s nothing too serious, but he has some wrist issues that need to be addressed in the offseason,” Donovan said. “He doesn’t feel OK all the time shooting the basketball. I think he’ll be OK once everything gets settled, but it’s something he’s struggling with and dealing with.”

Overall, Dillingham played 20 minutes and finished with five points and four rebounds.

Meanwhile, the bulls are in a very delicate position. In February, they made seven trades before the trade deadline, causing fans and observers to ask more questions about the franchise’s long-term plans.

Dillingham arrived in Chicago from the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the deal that sent Ayo Dosunmu to Minnesota. Originally, Dillingham was brought in to give him more opportunities to score and play more minutes.

However, with Ivey, Simmons and their injuries, the validity of the Bulls’ decision making over the past month is under even greater scrutiny.

Meanwhile, the Bulls will kick off their five-game road trip in Los Angeles. On Thursday they will play the Lakers and on Friday they will play the Clippers.

On Tuesday evening, Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo etched his name in the history books with an 83-point outburst against the Washington Wizards. This spectacular performance passed the late Kobe Bryant for the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, behind only Wilt Chamberlain, who had 100.

After the Phoenix Suns’ win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, Suns guard Collin Gillespie was asked about the historic night for Adebayo, and his answer raised eyebrows.

“I don’t really care,” Gillespie, formerly of X, said on Twitter, according to SunsWorldwide.

On Wednesday, Gillespie posted a tweet apologizing, writing, “No disrespect meant… It had nothing to do with our game or our team… It’s still a historic and great accomplishment for him.”

However, Gillespie has since deleted the post.

Heat fans have been quick to berate anyone attempting to provide context to Adebayo’s historic night on Tuesday, which included more than 40 free throw attempts, and the team kept the star well into garbage time in the game in pursuit of the record.

The final minutes of the game included a bizarre scene in which the Wizards were intentionally lining up Adebayo’s teammates to prevent him from scoring, while the Heat’s players were intentionally missing free throws to force Adebayo to foul on a rebounding action.

Whether this qualifies as a “moral” 83 points is certainly debatable, but Adebayo is now in the record books for his historic performance, which also led the Heat to their sixth consecutive win.

Miami is now in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, and essentially tied with the Toronto Raptors for fifth place, which is potentially as high as they could realistically be before the season ends.

In any case, Adebayo’s night will be long remembered.

The Golden State Warriors have a lot of explaining to do. On Monday, they fell to the Utah Jazz 119–116, prompting head coach Steve Kerr to advocate for a shortened season. Then on Tuesday, the Warriors lost to the Chicago Bulls 130–124 in overtime. A loss some are characterizing as tanking.

The loss to Chicago was especially painful because of one moment. In the final seconds, Draymond Green fouled Jalen Smith, putting the Warriors ahead 118–116. Ultimately, Smith converted both free throws, forcing the game into overtime.

After the game, Kerr took responsibility for Golden State’s inability to finish and Green’s foul trouble.
Kenzo Fukuda of ClutchPoints.

“It was a foul, I saw the replay, he put his hand in the wrong place, and it would have been a tough shot.”

Steve Kerr explains what went wrong with the fourth down QTR and Draymond Green’s last second foul:

“It was a foul, I saw the replay, he put his hand in the wrong place and it would have been a tough shot.”

Blamed Green as he said he was cold as he was sitting in fourth place. pic.twitter.com/VfONZDpsVt

– Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) 11 March 2026

Still, fans aren’t going easy on Kerr or Green.

“Shouldn’t have even entered the game at that time,” @OloapZurc posted on Twitter.

Another user called on Kerr to resign his post and take Green with him.

“I want this guy to be fired next season and take Drummond with him,” @XKingnas posted on social media.

Then, another fan took it a step further, saying that Kerr should step aside.

“Kerr is taking a lot of the blame as to why the Warriors are losing a lot of games… Maybe then he should have the decency to resign. That’s tantamount to admitting he’s no longer a good coach for this Warriors team,” @JRemeria0218 said on Twitter.

As a result, the Warriors are now 32-33 and have lost three consecutive games.

Tuesday night was a career-high scoring night. Of course, Bam Adebayo’s 83 points lead to the win. But for the Chicago Bulls, they got the best from Matas Buzelis against the Golden State Warriors.

Overall, Bouzelis finished the game with a career-high 41 points as the Bulls defeated the Warriors 130–124 in overtime.

Afterwards, according to Casey Johnson of Chicago Sports Network, Bouzelis talked about his approach to the game.

“Just trying to be aggressive every day, every game,” he said.

“Just trying to be aggressive every day, every game.”

with Matas Buzzelis @KCJHope He dropped a career-high 41 points in the win over Golden State pic.twitter.com/A3N1JMrlq4

– Bulls on CHSN (@CHSN_Bulls) 11 March 2026

With 2:32 left in overtime, Bouzelis hit a key 3-pointer to put the Bulls in good position to win. Additionally, Bouzelis finished the game 16 of 28 from the field, 5 of 15 at the 3-point line, 4 of 5 at the foul line and six rebounds.

Meanwhile, Tre Jones came up with 22 points and five assists. Additionally, Josh Giddy finished with another triple-double with 21 points, 17 assists and 13 rebounds.

Additionally, three Bulls recorded double-doubles.

Leonard Miller had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jalen Smith finished with 12 points as well as 12 rebounds. Nick Richards had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

With the win, the Bulls are now 27-38. On Thursday, they will travel to Los Angeles to complete their five-game road trip. First the match against the Lakers and then the match against the Clippers on Saturday.

On Monday, the Bulls return home to take on the Memphis Grizzlies.

Bouzelis was listed as probable on the NBA injury report due to a recent right ankle sprain.

Overall, Bouzelis played in 64 games and averaged 15.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

While some people are upset with Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, New York Knicks superfan Ben Stiller celebrated it by giving a shout-out to Cam Payne.

During the game, Stiller reacted to Adebayo’s play by reposting Jalen Brunson’s reaction, simply writing, “Bro what.”

However, after the game, he thanked former Knicks and current Philadelphia 76ers guard Payne, who also had a great night on March 10. He scored 32 points with 10 assists and three rebounds. Payne made nine of his 10 shots and was perfect from downtown.

Stiller didn’t want his accomplishment to go unnoticed, so he responded to a post with his stats, writing, “In other news… go on cam,” along with an admiring hand emoji.

Bam Adebayo has 83-point game in Heat’s blowout win over Washington Wizards

On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, Adebayo had a career day when he scored 83 points. The Heat defeated the Washington Wizards 150–129.

The game was never really close. Miami led 40–29 after the first quarter and they led 76–62 at halftime. Despite the lead always being large, Adebayo continued to score.

His 83 points came after shooting 43 free throws, 36 of which were made. He also shot 20-43 from the floor, including 7-22 from behind the three-point line. Additionally, Adebayo had nine rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. While the scoring was high, he also had five turnovers.

This game raised Adebayo’s average. He now has averages of 20 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. This is just shy of his career best in points (following the 2022–23 season, during which he averaged 20.4 points per game).

Adebayo is a former first round pick by the Heat in the 2017 NBA draft out of Kentucky. Throughout his career, he has been named to three NBA All-Star teams. In 2024, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He has also been named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team four times (from 2020 to 2023).

While many are celebrating Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo’s 83-point game, some are disappointed, like Ice Cube’s son O’Shea Jackson Jr., who is upset that he beat out Kobe Bryant’s famous 81-point game.

Jackson He continued to post throughout the game, beginning with, “Kobe’s hate campaign is insane.”

He then called out the Heat and Adebayo for stat-padding. Jackson was not happy with the fact that the Heat allowed Adebayo to score in a big win over the Washington Wizards.

“Did they never have a lead? And then you give them the record for most free throws in a game. You’re intentionally committing fouls to manipulate the clock. And the refs are still giving the call!” Jackson wrote. “Shout out to whoever found that in the fantasy.”[,] But it was a collective effort by the league to get the Wilts record tonight and they missed. Adam Silver you are a wild MF.”

Fortunately, Adebayo could not break Wilt Chamberlain’s record-setting 100-point game. Jackson claimed that the NBA “tried too hard to break Wilt’s record” with Adebayo’s play. However, this did not happen.

Jackson claimed, “He showed us that he just has to choose on a given night.” “I have full hope [Victor Wembanyama] Finally doing it now. [Stephen A. Smith,] You better not disappoint me when you talk about this. Thank you very much [LeBron James] Don’t know how, but it’s you[ur] Mistake.”

Ultimately, Jackson’s perspective about the NBA “has really changed.” He’s upset, and now can’t even believe the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 3-1 comeback win against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Jackson concluded by saying that Kobe Bryant fans “would have loved and respected someone who took Kobe’s record because it would have been the closest they would have come to seeing Kobe.”

However, the NBA “created it and forced it to happen.” Jackson believes this was done in an attempt to “desecrate” the Bryant statue.

His love for Bryant is unwavering. Jackson said that Bryant “is still the best of any guard or perimeter player.” He just wishes the NBA wouldn’t make it clear that “a bunch of refs can decide whether you’re getting everything that’s called for you.”

SAN FRANCISCO – Back-to-back losses to two actively trying teams are hard to swallow. But that’s what the Golden State Warriors will have to do after losing 130-124 to the Chicago Bulls in overtime.

The Warriors led by eight with 91 seconds left in regulation, but their performance fizzled out at the end of the game in the final seconds of overtime.

“We couldn’t finish it off,” Kerr said bluntly after the game. “They got two free throws with one second left, and they were able to send it to overtime. And then they were the better team in OT.”

The reason the Bulls got to OT were two mistakes by the Warriors. Two-way rookie LJ Cryer missed a free throw with a chance to give Golden State three points, opening the door for Bulls center Jalen Smith to knock down two free throws to tie the game after Draymond Green fouled him with his hand on his hip as he caught a pass in the corner.

From there, as Kerr said, Chicago attacked the Warriors in overtime. Matas Buzelis finished with a career-high 41 points with a dagger three with 2:20 left in OT, while Josh Giddy topped the scoring with a 21-point, 13-rebound, 17-assist triple-double.

But despite a stellar performance from the Bulls’ young core, the loss was caused by Green’s uncharacteristic mistake at the end of regulation. When Kerr was asked what happened on Green’s mistake, he took responsibility for his mistake.

“It was a foul. I saw the replay, and I’m convinced.” [Green would] Love getting it back. Just his hand fell in the wrong place. And [it] This would have been a tough shot for Smith to hit. And Dre knows he just needs to challenge [Smith]. He was in a difficult situation. He did not play the entire fourth quarter. And then I threw him out there for some defensive possessions, because I know how good he is on that end, but he wasn’t exactly loose and in flow. And I’m sure that didn’t help the case.”

Defensive woes plague Golden State

Still, the Warriors said they haven’t lost a game in a game or two. After the game, Pat Spencer pointed to their defensive issues and how Chicago controlled the flow of the game.

“We were a little soft on the ball,” Spencer said. “Think they’re very smart, and I think if we’re being honest, they didn’t have a group of guys that typically knocked down the three ball at a high rate. They still didn’t shoot that well. It felt like we were a little passive on that side. They’ve got some guys that can create a little bit. It felt like they played at their pace most of the night.”

Golden State lost 64-49 on the boards, holding the Bulls to 20 offensive rebounds. Buzzellis and Giddy got where they wanted, usually breaking down the Warriors’ shell and getting into the paint.

However, it is not that the Warriors did not work hard. While Cryer missed crucial free throws, he finished with 17 points on 3-of-5 from deep. Spencer himself was +18 plus/minus with 17 points and six assists as he led the Dubs’ leads in the third and fourth quarters. They even got a strong game from Kristaps Porzingis, with the big man collecting 17 points and four blocks in his third game with the Warriors. Porzingis got the crowd at Chase Center going when he hit a big three on the wing to cap a 12-0 run late in the third.

But ultimately, the Dubs lost, and that loss on their tab erases any good they did. This is the defeat of a team in the middle of a tank, which had previously lost to a team Fined By the league for tanking.

It doesn’t help that the Warriors are injured, no Steph Curry, no Jimmy Butler, and Moses Moody and De’Anthony Melton are out. But this kind of defeat is devastating for a team trying to survive.

how warriors move forward

With Golden State falling to 32-33 on the season, he hasn’t had time to nurse his wounds. They are in danger of falling far behind the Clippers, who passed them for the eighth seed this week. The Warriors are currently in ninth place, where they need to win two consecutive games to make it to the playoffs. They’ll get an update on Curry’s knee on Wednesday, but in all likelihood they’ll have to do without him when they get him up.

Gary Payton II said, “We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We know if we play the right way we can be ahead in any game.” “Bus [got to] Finish the season strong. Like I said, late, late in the second half, you know, clear up some mental things. “And I think we’ll put ourselves in a great position to close out the game.”

The Warriors’ optimism still remains. The high end of what this team can be, like the upset over the Houston Rockets, gives them confidence. But consecutive losses to tanking teams shows where the Warriors are at this season. Barely stepping into the water with a faint hope that their star might return in time to save them.

Match: India vs England, 1st Semi-Final

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium (Or designated host venue)

Toss: England won the toss and opted to bowl first.

India Score: 185/5 (20 Overs)

England Score: 120/4 (14.2 Overs) – Match in Progress

The Boston Celtics lost their favorite player early against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday at Frost Bank Center when Jaylen Brown was assessed back-to-back technical fouls in the second quarter, leading to his automatic ejection.

Brown was trying to attack the lane when Stephen Cassel appeared to push him out of bounds. However, the referee did not blow the whistle, prompting Brown to complain strongly.

The Celtics were leading 51-49 when the 29-year-old Brown was thrown.

Moments later, he took to express your frustration.

“it S*** to be mine Talking about,” Brown wrote.

Jaylen Brown’s latest ex post after ejection

(via @FCHWPO) https://t.co/yfkAq4pGd3 pic.twitter.com/xnTnwwBjdL

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

He finished with eight points, two rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 15 minutes.

This was an unfortunate incident, especially for fans who were excited to see stars from both teams compete. Without Brown, the Celtics were further handicapped, as they were already playing without Peyton Pritchard and Nikola Vucevic due to a neck injury and finger injury, respectively.

The Celtics ran out of steam in the fourth quarter and lost 125–116. Spurs recorded their ninth consecutive win at home.

Derrick White had 34 points, five rebounds and seven assists to lead Boston, while Jayson Tatum added 24 points, five rebounds and two steals.

Victor Wembanyama led San Antonio with a game-high 39 points and 11 rebounds on top of three assists and two blocks.

Before the game, Brown announced on his livestream that he was the NBA’s best two-way player, although he joked that Wambanyama did not count because “he’s a foreigner.”

The Boston Celtics have seen superstar Jayson Tatum bounce back from his Achilles injury in spectacular fashion, and it’s something that has impressed LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue.

Just 10 months after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in his right foot, Tatum returned to the court for the Celtics and played very well.

Tatum played surprisingly well in his return against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night, recording 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes of play. Tatum recorded his first bucket on a putback dunk in the second quarter, and followed it with a corner three-pointer on the ensuing possession.

In his second game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tatum had 20 points, three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes, including 12 points in the opening period.

LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, who hails from Mexico, Missouri and actually calls St. Louis native Jayson Tatum his cousin, talked about the return of the former six-time NBA All-Star.

“I talked to him the night before [his return against the Mavs] And he was very excited,” Lue told ClutchPoints. “He’s very excited to get back on the field because he loves the game. Just happy for him. A tough recovery, 10 months of rehab, doing all the things to get back and he very easily could have just turned around and just waited until next year, but he wanted to be on the floor, he wanted to help his team win.

“Boston is second in the East and has a real chance to win another championship, so for him to come back and be on the court shows you a lot about who he is.”

During his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tyronn Lue actually revealed that Tatum is someone he considers his little cousin.

“He’s my little cousin,” Lew said in a 2016 interview. “His dad, Justin Tatum, is Larry Hughes’ best friend and they come over all the time. They’re part of my extended family, Justin, so they come over all the time and it’s crazy seeing him from when he was six or seven years old to what he is today. Seeing the player he’s become, you knew he was going to be good, but now he’s at a whole new level.”

Without superstar Jayson Tatum, the Celtics compiled a 41–21 record in the first 62 games of the season. Since his return, the Celtics have won two consecutive wins without much difficulty. Boston is also currently only 2.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons, so the Celtics are a very real possibility.

Meanwhile, Tyronn Lue’s Clippers have continued to play well after starting the season with a dreadful 6-21 record. Since December 20, the three teams with the best records are the Boston Celtics (27–10), San Antonio Spurs (27–10) and LA Clippers (26–11).

“I just feel confident,” Lue said of his team’s goals this season. “I feel confident in our players, I feel confident in our coaching staff, and I feel confident in the environment and culture we’ve set. Why wouldn’t you want to play to win? That’s our mentality, that’s my mentality every night. No matter how hard it is, if you start 6-21 or whatever, you’re playing to win. We’ll try to make the playoffs and then anything can happen. Our goal is to make the playoffs.” Is.”

The Celtics and Clippers have already played their two games against each other, so Tatum and Lue won’t see each other again this season.

When the Miami Heat stepped into the Kasia Center for Tuesday night’s showdown against the Washington Wizards, little did they know that Bam Adebayo would make it a night no one would ever forget. While the game against the Wizards seems like an automatic win these days, if forgettable, Adebayo made sure it will be stored forever in everyone’s memory bank as he exploded for a historic 83 points in the Heat’s 150-129 victory.

Adebayo shot 20-43 from the field (7-22 from deep) and 36-43 from the free-throw line, as the Wizards couldn’t stop him from scoring points even when double- or triple-teamed. The rest of the Heat team wanted Adebayo to chase this record and he did just that.

While Adebayo knows it is his name that will be in the record books, he gave credit to all To help make history, both on the Heat squad as well as on a higher note.

“Man, I wish I could have experienced it twice. I credit God, my family, my teammates. This crowd. They kept feeding me the ball,” Adebayo told Kelly Sacco of FanDuel Sports Network.

Bam Adebayo on losing 83 points in a game:

“Man, I wish I could relive it twice, I give God credit.” pic.twitter.com/JNg9Vy6f6w

– SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) 11 March 2026

The entire Heat roster helped Bam Adebayo make history

It was especially clear in the fourth quarter that the Heat team had only one thing on its mind: getting Adebayo the basketball. They were force-feeding him rocks, even if he was double- or triple-teamed. They were deliberately annoying the wizards. They were setting screens to block the ball for him, and they were also letting him handle the ball out of the backcourt.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra should also be credited for making Adebayo’s historic scoring night possible. Some coaches would remove him from the game and the game would be out of reach for the opponents, but Adebayo remained in the game and the fans got what they paid good money to see.

When Bam Adebayo poured in a career-high 41 points in the first half of the Miami Heat’s Finals win over the Washington Wizards, fans had a pretty good idea they were going to see something special after halftime of an otherwise unimportant Tuesday night performance.

As each Bam bucket went in, the game became more exciting, with the all-time Heat records of franchise legends like Dwyane Wade and LeBron James weakening until only one, Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game, remained.

While Adebayo wasn’t able to reach that seemingly impossible 100-point mark, he finished second behind Kobe Bryant with 83, leading one of the “Black Mamba’s” all-time rivals, Dirk Nowitzki, to celebrate the occasion with a special social media post.

83?????

-Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) 11 March 2026

A prolific scorer in his own right, going over 50 several times, including a career-high 53 against the Houston Rockets, Nowitzki was clearly excited to see another big man turn in such an impressive effort from across the court, with Adebayo finishing the contest by shooting 20-24 from the field, 7-22 from beyond the arc and 36-43 from the free throw line in 42 minutes of action.

Will Adebayo ever score this many points in an NBA game again? Given that there have only been two other 80-point scorers in the last 70 years, this seems unlikely. But then again, who expected a random Tuesday night to center around a player scoring 83? Adebayo now finds himself in NBA history, and considering the players he’s among, that’s a pretty good place to be.

Many people probably didn’t wake up today thinking, “This is the day Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo scores 83 points.”

On a random Tuesday, Adebayo recorded the second-highest scoring game in NBA history after dropping 83 points in a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards at Kassite Center. He surpassed Kobe Bryant’s 81 points and is only behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points.

Adebayo tied Bryant’s record with a free throw with 1:37 remaining in the fourth quarter.

81‼️

Bam Adebayo tied Kobe Bryant for the second-highest scoring performance in NBA history 🔥pic.twitter.com/jQ5t7vf5i8

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

A few possessions later, he was fouled again. He broke Bryant’s record with two more charity hits, much to the delight of the crowd, who witnessed an unexpected event. iconic game.

Bam Adebayo scored his 82nd and 83rd points to surpass Kobe Bryant’s mark of 81 inside Kasia Center.

He is now the second highest scoring game in NBA history!

A moment Miami Heat fans will remember for a long time

(via @ZachWeinberger) pic.twitter.com/lRP5vohjoi

– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026

Somewhere, Bryant is already preparing to get back at Adebayo.

It was fitting that Adebayo took over and broke Bryant’s record from the line as the five-time champion also tallied 81 points from the stripe.

Adebayo shot 20 of 43 from the field and 36 of 43 from the line. He also had nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.

Adebayo isn’t exactly known as a high-volume scorer, so it was quite surprising that it was him who broke Bryant’s once-seemingly impossible feat. The three-time All-Star already had 70 points with seven minutes still left in the final period, and the excitement inside the venue grew with every Heat possession.

It’s not every day you get the chance to surpass an absolute legend, so Adebayo took it – and rightfully so. Because Bryant would be the first person to tell him that he should never miss an opportunity to do something great.

It was a historic night for the Miami Heat and especially Bam Adebayo. He scored 83 points against the Washington Wizards. moving forward late Kobe Bryant For scoring the second most points in an NBA game.

This was a moment that instantly went viral with no Who’s celebrating in the NBA?. They also include LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki. Also, Adebayo’s fiancée, Aja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, was right there in the court Celebrating achievement.

After the game, Adebayo took time to celebrate With Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, according to SM Highlights. As Adebayo came off the floor, Spoelstra was waiting for him with open arms and he gave him a big hug.

Bam Adebayo gave his head coach Erik Spoelstra a big gift after the 83-run loss, it’s love.

❤️ ❤️ pic.twitter.com/PR48GY7ZrK

– SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) 11 March 2026

Adebayo before breaking Kobe’s record Surpasses LeBron James’ mark of 61 pointsMost points scored by a Heat player in a game. In the end, the Heat defeated the weak Washington Wizards 150–129.

Overall, Adebayo was 20 of 43 from the field, 7 of 22 at the 3-point line, and 36 of 43 at the foul line.

Furthermore, Adebayo is averaging 18.9 points per game. On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points in a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Toronto Raptors. He was 28 of 46 from the field, 7 of 13 at the 3-point line and 18 of 20 at the foul line.

The most points in an NBA game were scored by Wilt Chamberlain in March 1962. That day, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Chamberlain and his Philadelphia Warriors were playing the New York Knicks.

Overall, Chamberlain was 36 of 63 from the field and 28 of 32 from the free throw line. The Warriors won 169–147.

It was a moment that still remains the standard for NBA individual excellence.

Adebayo has been with the Heat for nine seasons, beginning with the 2017–18 NBA season.

Bam Adebayo captured the attention of the entire sports world with his historic 83-point night in the Miami Heat’s 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. He now has the second-highest scoring game in NBA history, surpassing the 81 points scored by Kobe Bryant in 2006 and trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game.

Adebayo’s historic night was also attended by his wife, Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson, and his mother, Marilyn Blount. After the game, Adebayo shared a romantic moment with his girlfriend, who was reacting live to her partner’s poor scoring on the threads.

“Welp won’t set career highs at home anymore 😭 but at least it gives me something to go after 🤭,” Wilson wrote.

Wilson’s career-high scoring is 53 points, which he recorded against the Atlanta Dream in 2023. By the third quarter, Adebayo had surpassed that number.

“60 in 3 quarters!??!!?!?! Yessirrr,” Wilson said.

Adebayo set a Heat franchise record for scoring by the end of the third, when he had 62 points to surpass LeBron James’ 61-point tally.

“A new record!!!” Wilson further said. “History!!!”

After the game, Wilson joked about his teammate’s accomplishment, saying that the NBA would now come for him and test him for performance-enhancing drugs.

“Go ahead and pee in that cup my boi! EOS,” Wilson jokingly wrote.

Heat’s Bam Adebayo even surprises his girlfriend

No one in the world knows Adebayo’s skills on the hardwood better than Wilson, who may have watched the Heat star up close a thousand times in the past. So for him to be stunned by the Heat star’s achievement says a lot.

And his surprise should come as no surprise. After all, Adebayo’s previous career-high was 41 points, and as great a player as he is, scoring isn’t his greatest strength.