On March 11 Beijing time, CBS sports journalist Sam Quinn commented on Adebayo's 83 points, responding to various nitpicks online about this high-scoring performance, and it sounds quite reasonable. Here is Quinn's full article—

Adebayo scored 83 points in an NBA game. I must repeat it again, because some people online still can't believe it: Adebayo scored 83 points in an NBA game.

From any perspective, this is one of the most incredible single-game performances in NBA history.

Jordan never scored 83 points in the NBA, and James never scored 83 points either.

This player who achieved the second-highest score in NBA history, before today's game against the Washington Wizards, had a career high of only 41 points.

He doubled his career high overnight!

This should have been a celebration.

An already underestimated star, in this fluctuating season, led the Miami Heat into the history books with a depleted roster.

This is almost a plot from a sports movie.

But sports movies no longer exist, they disappeared since the birth of social media.

And in this era, what do people excel at?

Nitpicking.

“This is an insult to Kobe's 81 points.”

A viral tweet wrote, with nearly 9000 likes by the time I wrote this article.

“Disney-style 81 points.” Someone messaged me after Adebayo tied Kobe's score.

Even Lakers home announcer Lawrence Tant referred to Adebayo's 83 points as “a sad footnote in NBA history” during the game.

And I just sat there, dumbfounded—

Sorry, I have to say it again: Someone scored 83 points in an NBA game! This is history!

This is one of the most shocking things you can see on a basketball court!

So what exactly are people complaining about? Let's look at them one by one.

“All from free throws.”

Yes, Adebayo set a new NBA record with 36 free throws made and 43 attempts.

Before this, the record holder was Adrian Dantley with 28 free throws made in a single game.

This means Adebayo scored 8 more points just from free throws than the old record.

One of the old record holders was Wilt Chamberlain—

But no one mentions how many free throws he made in his 100-point game.

Another was Dantley, who only scored 46 points in that game.

Before Adebayo, there were only 7 games in NBA history where a player made more than 25 free throws in a single game.

Except Chamberlain, the highest scorer among them was Jordan with 58 points.

Even if Adebayo only matched the old free throw record, he would have scored 75 points,

going from second in history to fourth in history, still a miracle.

“The opponent was just the Wizards.”

Even Rockets coach Udoka said so.

Yes, the Wizards are terrible.

But historically high scores often come against weak teams.

Chamberlain's 100 points were against the 29-51 Knicks.

Kobe's 81 points were against the 27-55 Raptors.

Only Chamberlain and Booker have scored 70+ against teams with a winning percentage above 50% in history.

There are worse teams in the league.

No one scored 80 points against the even worse Nets this week.

Everyone in the league has played against the Wizards this season,

and the highest score against them before was Mitchell's 48 points.

“All scored in garbage time.”

Adebayo scored 31 points in the first quarter, the fifth-highest single-quarter score in the NBA in the past 30 years.

43 points at halftime, setting a new career high.

63 points after three quarters (by the way: Kobe also scored 63 points in three quarters against the Mavericks and didn't play the fourth quarter).

He scored 8 points and 16 free throws in the fourth quarter.

Kobe scored 13 points and 12 free throws in the fourth quarter of his 81-point game.

Kobe was the only Lakers scorer in the last 7 minutes of that game, scoring all 17 points in the last 5 and a half minutes with a double-digit lead.

That game was indeed closer, but don't pretend there wasn't some stat-padding involved.

“Anyone can score in this era, meaningless.”

Then where are the other 80-point games this season? Where are the 70-point games?

Even 60 points are rare.

The highest score this season is Jokic's 56 points, and that was in overtime.

In Chamberlain's 100-point season, teams averaged nearly 108 shots per game.

This season it's only 89.

The Heat are the fastest-paced team in the league, but basketball in the 60s was a completely different sport.

If Adebayo benefited from the era, so did Chamberlain.

“His efficiency was super low, he missed more than he made!”

I must say, it's amusing to see Kobe fans suddenly become “efficiency police,”

since Kobe once took 50 shots in a single game.

And that day for the Heat: Herro, Wiggins, Powell, Weil, Jovic were all injured.

The Wizards didn't need to defend anyone else; everyone knew the ball would only go to Adebayo.

This was destined to be a night with high attempts and average efficiency.

He just pushed the attempt volume to a historic level.

Were the Heat force-feeding him at the end? Of course.

Because they were one step away from history, they certainly wanted to chase it.

Kobe's night might be greater, but there's no need to belittle Adebayo.

We can honestly say: Kobe's 81 points might indeed be more impressive.

Higher efficiency, stronger opponent, closer game,

and the scoring environment of that era was far less friendly than now.

Hand-check was abolished not long before 2006, the league hadn't fully learned efficient offense,

the three-point revolution was just beginning, and the average points per 100 possessions was only 106.2.

This season it's 115.3.

If you're a Kobe fan wanting to protect your idol's legend, this can reassure you.

But there's no need to praise one person by stepping on another.

The notion that “Adebayo's 83 points is not glorious, not worthy of being remembered in history, inferior to Kobe” is completely absurd.

If one could really “scheme” to score 83 points, someone would have done it already.

All top scorers this season have played against the Wizards.

All top scorers in history have played against weak teams and had garbage time.

Adebayo's game was a perfect storm:

Star in explosive form + weak opponent + many teammates absent + hot shooting in the first half + game not so out of hand to rest + history within reach.

Such conditions are uncommon, but not unheard of.

Frankly speaking, it's no different from the logic behind Kobe and Chamberlain's high scores,

basically all 70+ games come like this.

Have you ever wondered why there are only 5 instances of 50 points in NBA Finals history?

Because no one can score 70, 80 points against the ultimate defense, highest intensity, and biggest stage.

From this perspective, all 70+ games have some “water content.”

They only happen in regular season, against weak teams, with lenient whistles, and in garbage time.

You can say Kobe's game was better, fine.

But don't pretend he scored 81 points against the 2004 Pistons.

He faced an aging Jalen Rose and a coach who stubbornly refused to double-team.

The key point: Even so, 80+ is still incredible.

This is just a偶然, crazy, joyful historical moment.

We could have enjoyed it properly, instead of nitpicking endlessly.