Adebayo set the tone early, opening the first quarter with 31 points. By halftime, he’d already reached 43 points, and finished the night shooting 20-of-43 from the field and 7-of-22 from the three-point line.
He also added a historic outing at the free throw line, attempting an NBA record 43 shots, and making 36 of them. He averaged just 4.8 free throw attempts per game this season before Tuesday’s contest.
Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley previously shared the record for most free throws made in a game with 28 each.
Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra removed the center from the game with 1:08 remaining, as the Heat secured a 150 to 129 victory over the Washington Wizards.
“Absolutely surreal night,” Spoelstra said after the game. “Once he got to 50, then we’re thinking, all right, maybe get to 60. Then when he got to 60, we might as well go for 70. I didn’t even dare think about taking him out.”
Adebayo entered the night averaging 18.9 points and 9.8 rebounds per game this season. The victory marked Miami’s sixth straight win and improved the team to 37 wins and 29 losses.
Previously, LeBron James held the Miami Heat franchise single-game scoring record with 61 points against Charlotte on 3 March 2014.