Bam Adebayo breaks Miami Heat record with 43 first-half points against Washington Wizards at home

Historic half reshapes Heat record book

Bam Adebayo recorded the most points ever scored by a Miami Heat player in one half on Tuesday, delivering 43 points before halftime against the Washington Wizards in Miami. The outburst also included a franchise record for points in a quarter, as Adebayo scored 31 in the opening period, surpassing the previous Heat mark for any quarter.

The performance reset two long-standing team benchmarks in the span of 24 minutes and placed Adebayo’s scoring surge among the most prolific first halves tracked in the modern play-by-play era.

How the record-setting half unfolded

Adebayo’s first-quarter total was built on a mix of paint finishes, transition scoring and perimeter shooting. By the end of the second quarter, his halftime line had already eclipsed his prior single-game career high of 41 points, set on January 23, 2021 against the Brooklyn Nets.

From a league-wide context, Adebayo became the first player to reach a statistical combination of at least 12 made field goals, 12 made free throws and five made three-pointers in a single half since Kobe Bryant produced a comparable mark during the second half of his 81-point game on January 22, 2006.

• Heat record for points in a half: 43 (Adebayo, March 10, 2026)
• Heat record for points in a quarter: 31 (Adebayo, first quarter, March 10, 2026)
• Previous Adebayo career-high (full game): 41 (January 23, 2021)

Full-game outcome and final numbers

Adebayo’s scoring pace continued after halftime. He finished with 79 points in 41 minutes as Miami scored 146 points and won 146–120. In addition to his scoring, Adebayo added nine rebounds, three assists, five steals and two blocks. Miami shot 45-of-88 from the field and attempted 53 free throws as the game’s physicality and foul count increased.

Adebayo’s 79 points set a new Miami Heat single-game scoring record, alongside the new half and quarter marks established earlier in the night.

Why it matters for Miami’s late-season picture

The record came during a stretch in which Miami had been building momentum in the standings. Adebayo had recently crossed 10,000 career points, becoming the second player in franchise history to reach that threshold. Tuesday’s performance added a new chapter to his statistical résumé and gave Miami a landmark individual game amid the season’s final weeks.