Where Bam Adebayo Ranks Among the Most Ethical 70-Plus-Point Games in NBA History

Bam Adebayo generated an earthquake of buzz on Tuesday night, and not just because he scored 83 points in a blowout win over the Washington Wizards.

The immediate and lasting conversation after the performance had more to do with the ethics or legitimacy of his total than it did with the total itself.

That got us thinking: In terms of so-called "ethical hoops," where exactly does Bam's historic night rank among every 70-point outing in NBA history?

The nebulousness of the term "ethical hoops" opens this up to loads of subjectivity, but before we applied that, five factors were analyzed:

Total points, or PTS (because, come on, each player deserves some credit for climbing as high as he did)

Margin of victory, or MOV (one of the issues many seemed to have with Bam's night was the fact that he played most of the fourth quarter in a blowout win)

Points per true shooting attempts, or PTS/TSA (a low number here suggests "chucking" or chasing a high total at the expense of team basketball

Points per free-throw attempts, or PTS/FTA (trips to the line are a constant theme of "ethical hoops" discussions)

Points per minutes played, or PTS/MIN (like margin of victory and points per attempt, this sort of shows how aggressively the player and his team were "chasing" his total)

Assists per field-goal attempt, or AST/FGA (a high number here suggests the player was still looking for teammates and the right play in spite of a ballooning individual point total).

Each of the 16 performances of at least 70 points in NBA history were judged and sorted based on the above. From there, a dash of subjectivity gave us the final order you'll find here.

16. Wilt Chamberlain's 73 on January 13, 1962

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Basic Numbers: 73 PTS in 48 MIN, 0 AST, 29-of-48 FGA, 15-of-25 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 18 MOV, 1.24 PTS/TSA, 2.92 PTS/FTA, 1.52 PTS/MP, 0.0 AST/FGA

You may not be surprised to learn that this won't be the last time you'll see Wilt Chamberlain on this list.

With a total of six separate 70-point performances, he's the all-time leader in this category. But I think even he'd agree this one wasn't his finest.

Chamberlain played the entire game, which ended up a blowout. And although we don't have access to "potential assists" for performances in the 1960s, totaling zero assists, 48 shot attempts and 25 free-throw attempts in 48 minutes doesn't scream "ethical ball."

15. Wilt Chamberlain's 78 on December 8, 1961

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Basic Numbers: 78 PTS in 63 MIN, 1 AST, 31-of-62 FGA, 16-of-31 FTA

Ethical Numbers: -4 MOV, 1.03 PTS/TSA, 2.52 PTS/FTA, 1.24 PTS/MP, 0.02 AST/FGA

As modern playmaking centers like Nikola Jokić have started to take down assist records for centers, you likely noticed that plenty were previously held by Wilt.

But he wasn't passing the ball much at this point. Through the 1961-62 season, his average was 2.2.

And as you can see, he didn't even get there in the two games we've detailed so far.

Once again, Wilt clearly wasn't looking for teammates in this one. A single assist against all those shots from the field and the line in 63 minutes is almost comical.

14. Elgin Baylor's 71 on November 15, 1960

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Basic Numbers: 71 PTS in 45 MIN, 1 AST, 28-of-48 FGA, 15-of-19 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 15 MOV, 1.26 PTS/TSA, 3.74 PTS/FTA, 1.58 PTS/MP, 0.02 AST/FGA

For our first departure from Wilt, we turn to Elgin Baylor's career-high 71, which he dropped in a 15-point win over the New York Knicks.

Baylor, like Wilt, wasn't looking to pass in this game. And the outcome seemed pretty certain before he surpassed 70, but he deserves a little grace for chasing history.

Like Bam tracking down Kobe Bryant's 81, Baylor was pursuing the first 70-point game in NBA history. And though it took him 48 field-goal attempts to get there, Baylor accomplished the feat in 1960.

13. Wilt Chamberlain's 72 on November 3, 1962

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Basic Numbers: 72 PTS in 48 MIN, 1 AST, 29-of-48 FGA, 14-of-18 FTA

Ethical Numbers: -12 MOV, 1.29 PTS/TSA, 4.00 PTS/FTA, 1.50 PTS/MP, 0.02 AST/FGA

This one obviously wasn't the kind of comfortable victory Baylor had when he got to 71. In fact, Wilt's San Francisco Warriors lost this game, which is a pretty good indication that he needed to stay in down the stretch.

Beyond that, at least relative to the performances we've seen so far, there wasn't much foul grifting here. Scoring 58 of your 72 points from the field is worth some kudos.

Getting his totals in regulation (as opposed to the triple-overtime win in 1961) helps the ranking on this one too.

12. Devin Booker's 70 on March 24, 2017

Basic Numbers: 70 PTS in 45 MIN, 6 AST, 21-of-40 FGA, 4-of-11 3PA, 24-of-26 FTA

Ethical Numbers: -10 MOV, 1.36 PTS/TSA, 2.69 PTS/FTA, 1.56 PTS/MP, 0.15 AST/FGA

In at least one way, this performance by Devin Booker was relatively similar to Bam Adebayo's. It came out of nowhere.

Toward the end of his second year in the league, Booker's career and season high was 39. Then, suddenly, he erupted for 70 in a loss against the Boston Celtics. And he nearly doubled his career-high for free-throw attempts.

Given the numbers, this ranking actually feels a little low. So, now may be the right time to mention that all of these performances are ethical to varying degrees.

NBA players don't get to 70 points in a single game without immense skill and determination. Winding up outside this particular top 10 certainly isn't a knock.

11. Bam Adebayo's 83 on March 10, 2026

Basic Numbers: 83 PTS in 42 MIN, 3 AST, 20-of-43 FGA, 7-of-22 3PA, 36-of-43 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 21 MOV, 1.34 PTS/TSA, 1.93 PTS/FTA, 1.98 PTS/MP, 0.07 AST/FGA

It's easy to pick at this performance. Obviously.

For much of the 24 hours following the final buzzer, plenty of fans and analysts were complaining about the number of free-throw attempts, Bam staying in the game until he topped 81 and the Heat intentionally fouling to get him a few extra possessions.

The conversation predictably grew to include indictments of this entire era of NBA basketball and impassioned arguments that Kobe's 81-point night was more impressive.

But 83 is 83. And regardless of what the haters have had to say about it, Bam Adebayo getting there is a truly remarkable achievement.

Before Tuesday's explosion, Bam was averaging 18.9 points per game for the season. That he's now the owner of the second-largest single-game point total in NBA history defies explanation.

No matter how he got there, Bam, his teammates and his coach deserve a mountain of credit for the achievement.

10. David Robinson's 71 on April 24, 1994

Basic Numbers: 71 PTS in 44 MIN, 5 AST, 26-of-41 FGA, 1-of-2 3PA, 18-of-25 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 15 MOV, 1.37 PTS/TSA, 2.84 PTS/FTA, 1.61 PTS/MP, 0.12 AST/FGA

The caveat on this one is David Robinson's chase for the 1993-94 scoring title.

It was the final game of the season. The San Antonio Spurs finished second in the West, with at least a two-game buffer in both directions. The result of the game didn't impact their playoff positioning. And they won comfortably.

Robinson stayed in and kept shooting almost entirely because of that chase.

But we can't knock him too much for getting to 71. He could've scored 33 fewer on closing night and still earned that crown. At a certain point, Robinson was chasing something bigger than a single-season scoring title. He got it by notching just the ninth 70-point game in league history to that point.

9. Wilt Chamberlain's 73 on November 16, 1962

Bettmann/Getty Images

Basic Numbers: 73 PTS in 48 MIN, 1 AST, 29-of-43 FGA, 15-of-19 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 16 MOV, 1.42 PTS/TSA, 3.84 PTS/FTA, 1.52 PTS/MP, 0.02 AST/FGA

This is maybe starting to feel a little like a broken record.

We have yet another early 1960s performance from Wilt, which maybe shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Over the course of the 1961-62 and 1962-63 seasons, he averaged 47.6 points. There were bound to be some 70-pointers in there.

And in this one, he scored over half his team's points in a 127-111 victory over the New York Knicks.

8. Wilt Chamberlain's 70 on March 10, 1963

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Basic Numbers: 70 PTS in 48 MIN, 3 AST, 27-of-38 FGA, 16-of-22 FTA

Ethical Numbers: -15 MOV, 1.47 PTS/TSA, 3.18 PTS/FTA, 1.46 PTS/MP, 0.08 AST/FGA

The "he stayed in and chased a point total in a blowout" element certainly doesn't apply to this one.

Wilt's Warriors lost by 15 to the Syracuse Nationals in this game, so it's pretty easy to justify Chamberlain staying on the floor (never mind the fact that he averaged 47.6 minutes during this campaign).

As if that wasn't enough, 70 points on 38 field-goal attempts without a three-point line is pretty darn impressive.

7. Joel Embiid's 70 on January 22, 2024

Basic Numbers: 70 PTS in 37 MIN, 5 AST, 24-of-41 FGA, 1-of-2 3PA, 21-of-23 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 10 MOV, 1.37 PTS/TSA, 3.04 PTS/FTA, 1.89 PTS/MP, 0.12 AST/FGA

There's a hint of irony in Joel Embiid being in the top half of this list.

For years, he's been one of the primary sources of contention over foul grifting, free-throw totals and "ethical hoops" in general.

But on this night, you can't waste much breath (or key strokes) on those criticisms.

Yes, Embiid shot 23 free throws, but he was also dominant from the field against Victor Wembanyama, who's developed into one of the game's most dynamic defenders.

What's perhaps most impressive about this performance is the number of minutes played. That's the fewest in any 70-point game in NBA history.

6. David Thompson's 73 on April 9, 1978

Basic Numbers: 73 PTS in 43 MIN, 2 AST, 28-of-38 FGA, 17-of-20 FTA

Ethical Numbers: -2 MOV, 1.56 PTS/TSA, 3.65 PTS/FTA, 1.70 PTS/MP, 0.05 AST/FGA

David Thompson's 73-point night comes with the same caveat as the Robinson performance above.

He was chasing a scoring title on the final night of the regular season in 1978. But unlike Robinson, and thanks to George Gervin dropping 63 in his own season finale, Thompson couldn't quite capture that particular throne.

Still, at the time, he became just the third player in league history to eclipse 70. And for a 6'4" wing to do something only Wilt (one of the game's giants) and Baylor (who played much bigger than 6'5") had done before was truly spectacular.

5. Wilt Chamberlain's 100 on March 2, 1962

AP Photo

Basic Numbers: 100 PTS in 48 MIN, 2 AST, 36-of-63 FGA, 28-of-32 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 22 MOV, 1.30 PTS/TSA, 3.13 PTS/FTA, 2.08 PTS/MP, 0.03 AST/FGA

Wilt's 100-point performance is as easy to pick apart as just about any performance on this list.

He took 63 shots and 32 free throws in what wound up being a blowout win. Like Bam's Heat, his team was intentionally fouling to get him more possessions.

The pace of the game in the 1960s was breakneck relative to just about every other era. The entire game seemed geared toward getting him to this total. And we have no video of the performance to see what it looked like.

But the man dropped 100 points. In a single game. In the league playing the highest level of basketball in the world. More than 60 years later, no one's come close to that total.

Kobe and Bam are the only other players to top 80. Even Wilt doesn't have another game over 78.

Adebayo's 83-point night makes 100 feel more attainable, but it's going to take a perfect combination of factors for anyone to get there.

4. Damian Lillard's 71 on February 26, 2023

Basic Numbers: 71 PTS in 39 MIN, 6 AST, 22-of-38 FGA, 13-of-22 3PA, 14-of-14 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 17 MOV, 1.61 PTS/TSA, 5.07 PTS/FTA, 1.82 PTS/MP, 0.16 AST/FGA

Among the 16 games examined for this exercise, this one ranked in the top five in points per true shot attempts, points per minute and assists per field-goal attempts. It ranks first in points per free-throw attempts.

Lillard was absolutely scorching throughout this game. His total of 13 threes is tied for the second-most ever in a single game. Getting to the final stat line that he did in under 40 minutes is absurd.

We typically think of "Dame Time" as the closing moments of huge games, but it was locked in for the duration of this one.

3. Donovan Mitchell's 71 on January 2, 2023

Basic Numbers: 71 PTS in 50 MIN, 11 AST, 22-of-34 FGA, 7-of-15 3PA, 20-of-25 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 11 MOV, 1.58 PTS/TSA, 2.84 PTS/FTA, 1.42 PTS/MP, 0.32 AST/FGA

If we peeled a layer of subjectivity off this exercise, Donovan Mitchell's performance might rank a little lower, but multiple factors pushed it into the top three.

That margin of victory doesn't account for the fact that this game went to overtime. Mitchell needed to put up all the points he did to secure the win. Additionally, he's the only player on the list who also reached double figures in assists.

It may have taken 50 minutes for Mitchell to get to these gaudy totals, but this was a 70-point double-double that somehow happened organically.

2. Kobe Bryant's 81 on January 22, 2006

Basic Numbers: 81 PTS in 42 MIN, 2 AST, 28-of-46 FGA, 7-of-13 3PA, 18-of-20 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 18 MOV, 1.48 PTS/TSA, 4.05 PTS/FTA, 1.93 PTS/MP, 0.04 AST/FGA

Everyone who seems to be angry about Bam passing one very specific performance are ignoring the similarities.

Kobe's game also wasn't close down the stretch. His teammates were looking for him before anyone else. In the fourth quarter alone, he took 13 of L.A.'s 17 field-goal attempts and shot 13 free throws.

He was, without question, trying to see how high he could climb.

And that's fine! It was fine when Bam and the Heat did it too, but there are a few factors here that drive Kobe's game all the way up to the second spot.

First of all, he attempted less than half the number of free throws Adebayo did. He was above 50 percent from both the field and from three. And though the 18-point margin of victory suggests this game wasn't close, Kobe scoring 27 in the third flipped it (Toronto was actually winning at halftime). The Lakers needed his surge to get the win.

At some point in the fourth quarter, it shifted from a come-from-behind victory to an individual pursuit of a lofty point total, but there's nothing wrong with achieving both.

1. Luka Dončić's 73 on January 26, 2024

Basic Numbers: 73 PTS in 45 MIN, 7 AST, 25-of-33 FGA, 8-of-13 3PA, 15-of-16 FTA

Ethical Numbers: 5 MOV, 1.82 PTS/TSA, 4.56 PTS/FTA, 1.62 PTS/MP, 0.21 AST/FGA

The numbers from Luka Dončić's 73-point performance are dramatically different from everything else on this list.

He took the fewest field-goal attempts and second-fewest free-throw attempts of anyone here. His true shooting percentage for the game was 91.2.

And his team needed every bit of the production, as evidenced by the final score of the Dallas Mavericks' 148-143 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Every performance on this list was spectacular, but nothing blended the spectacular with the ethical quite as well as Luka did.