On March 10, 2026, Bam Adebayo rewrote NBA history, with an incredible game of 83 points in the 150-129 destruction of the Washington Wizards by the Miami Heat, and the basketball world is still discussing it. The highest score a player can score in a single NBA game has long been one among the most discussed topics in sports, with the record of 100 points in 1962 by Wilt Chamberlain remaining unmatched. For 20 years, Kobe Bryant’s legendary 81-point performance held the No. 2 spot – until Bam Adebayo came along.
Starting with a blistering 31-point opening quarter and closing with a record-smashing free-throw display, Adebayo’s night was nothing short of extraordinary. He is now only the second player in league history to surpass the 81-point mark. So, who holds the top spots on this all-time list? Let’s break it down.
Top 5 Highest-Scoring Games in NBA History
1. Wilt Chamberlain – 100 Points (1962)
There is no mark in professional basketball that seems more inviolable than this one. On March 2, 1962, Chamberlain scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks. More than six decades later, it remains the gold standard of individual offensive brilliance. Chamberlain is also the only player in history with multiple 70-point games – six of them, in fact.
2. Bam Adebayo – 83 Points (2026)
In what many are calling the most unlikely record in NBA history, Bam Adebayo erupted for 83 points at the Kaseya Center, passing Kobe Bryant to claim the second spot on this all-time list. Bam Adebayo started with a blistering 31-point first quarter and entered halftime with 43 – already surpassing his previous career high. He finished shooting 20-of-43 from the field, 7-of-22 from three, and a record-breaking 36-of-43 from the free-throw line, shattering the previous record of 28 made free throws in a single game set by Adrian Dantley in 1984.
3. Kobe Bryant – 81 Points (2006)
The “Black Mamba” put on one of the most celebrated individual performances in NBA history when he scored 81 points for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Toronto Raptors on January 22, 2006. Bryant held the No. 2 spot for 20 years – until Bam Adebayo came along.
4. Wilt Chamberlain – 78 Points (1961)
Chamberlain appears on this list multiple times for good reason. His 78-point effort in 1961 remains the fourth-highest individual scoring game ever and a reminder of just how dominant he was during his era.
5. Wilt Chamberlain / David Thompson – 73 Points (1962/1978)
The fifth place is held by three performances: two of them by Chamberlain in 1962 and one by David Thompson in 1978. The effort made by Thompson happened in a scoring race on the last day of the season and is still one of the most dramatic individual performances in the history of the league.
FAQs: Most Points in an NBA Game
Q: Who holds the all-time record for most points in an NBA game?
Wilt Chamberlain is the holder with a mark of 100 points, which he marked on March 2, 1962, in the match between Philadelphia Warriors and New York Knicks. It is the oldest professional sports record that is yet to be broken.
Q: How many points did Bam Adebayo score in his record game?
On March 10, 2026, in Miami, Bam Adebayo scored 83 points on his way to a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. It is the second-most single game score in NBA history, being 81 points above Kobe Bryant’s 81 points in a game in 2006.
Q: Is Bam Adebayo the only active player to score 80+ points in a game?
Yes. Bam Adebayo is the only active, and the second and only player in all of NBA history, to score 80 or more points in a single game, the other player being Wilt Chamberlain.
Q: What was Bam Adebayo’s previous career high before the record game?
Before his historic night, Bam Adebayo’s previous career high was 41 points – a mark he surpassed before halftime in his record-breaking 83-point performance.
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