Wham, Bam, thank you, ma'am: How Heat center Adebayo scored 83 points in win

Adebayo left the team record book in shambles. He went 36-of-43 at the free-throw line, beating Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler's record for free throws in a game (23), and blowing past James' point record. The Heat won their sixth straight game and have surprisingly been the NBA's top-scoring offense over their last 12 games.

Bam Adebayo's scoring binge came out of nowhere

Adebayo is an excellent player and a three-time All-Star, but most of his acclaim comes at the other end of the court. He's made five All-Defensive teams and has only averaged more than 20 points in a season once.

This was Adebayo's seventh straight game of 20-plus points, and the Heat are increasingly relying on him and Tyler Herro to carry an unheralded offense that has been on fire even with All-Star Norman Powell injured. Herro missed Tuesday's game, and it just meant Adebayo put the whole offense on his back, even starting alongside two rookies in Myron Gardner and Kasparas Jakucionis.

The Heat left Adebayo in the game deep into the fourth quarter to chase Bryant's 81-point mark from 2006, though even Adebayo's record-setting pace couldn't threaten Wilt Chamberlain's record of 100 in a game. They even began fouling to get the ball back and give the big man more scoring opportunities.

It’s one of the most impressive scoring games in history, and perhaps the most unlikely one. But now these are the three names that represent single-game scoring prowess: Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Bam Adebayo.