Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo made history on Tuesday in the team’s 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards. After scoring 31 points in the first quarter, a franchise record for points in a quarter, he also broke the Heat record for points in a half with 43.
By the end of the night, Adebayo had accumulated 83 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals, two blocks and seven three-pointers. Shooting 20-of-43 from the field and 36-of-43 from the foul line, Bam became the first player in league history to record at least 22 three-point and 30 free-throw attempts in the same game, and his 36 points from the foul line were also a league record.
Of course, Wilt Chamberlain is the only player in league history to have scored more points in a game, having put up 100, but Adebayo is now second on that list, jumping past Kobe Bryant‘s 81-point effort against the Toronto Raptors. Obviously, Adebayo’s fantasy stat line was elite, but what were some of the other great nights in fantasy basketball history? Let’s take a look at some other nights that would have, or did, set the fantasy basketball world on fire.
Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets (March 10, 1987 vs. Seattle)
Fantasy basketball may not have been the industry that it is today back in the 1980s, but Olajuwon was one of the players of that era who would have been an elite option, regardless of league format. On March 10, 1987, the Hall of Fame center produced a stat line the likes of which we have not seen since. Shooting 14-of-29 from the field and 10-of-14 from the foul line, Olajuwon finished the double-overtime defeat with a stat line that included a staggering 19 defensive contributions. He finished with 38 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, seven steals and 12 blocked shots.
Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls (March 28, 1990 vs. Cleveland)
Considered by many to be the greatest of all time, Jordan could supplement high-scoring nights with excellent production across the entire stat line. That was the case in a March 1990 overtime loss to the Cavaliers. Shooting 23-of-37 from the field and 21-of-23 from the foul line, Jordan scored 69 points while also recording 18 rebounds, six assists, four steals, one block and two three-pointers. Also, he was responsible for just two turnovers while playing 50 of a possible 53 minutes.
David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs (February 17, 1994 vs. Detroit)
Shooting 12-of-20 from the field and 10-of-17 from the foul line, “The Admiral” recorded a 34-point quadruple-double in a win over the Pistons. In 43 minutes, he was also responsible for 10 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and 10 blocked shots. Not a single fantasy manager would complain about the free-throw shooting after a performance of this caliber.
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (January 22, 2006 vs. Toronto)
The man whose point total Adebayo eclipsed on Tuesday, Bryant’s 81-point night against the Raptors remains the stuff of legend. And who was defending him throughout the course of that game didn’t matter. Playing 42 minutes, Bryant shot 28-of-46 from the field and 18-of-20 from the foul line. In addition to the 81 points, Kobe put up six rebounds, two assists, three steals, one blocked shot and seven three-pointers. Clearly, there have been more robust fantasy stat lines. But scoring 81 points efficiently can compensate for that.
James Harden, Houston Rockets (December 31, 2016 vs. New York)
While Harden has four 60-point games to his credit, those performances don’t make the cut. What made the cut was the triple-double he recorded in a win over the Knicks on the final day of 2016. Shooting 14-of-26 from the field and 18-of-20 from the foul line, Harden scored 53 points while also recording 16 rebounds and 17 assists. He didn’t record any steals or blocks, and there were also eight turnovers, but on some nights, the production is too good to overlook.
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (March 29, 2017 vs. Orlando)
During his MVP 2016-17 season, Westbrook recorded two 50-point triple-doubles in March. One was recorded during an overtime win over the Magic, with the point guard tallying 57 points (21-of-40 FGs, 9-of-11 FTs), 13 rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and six three-pointers. Like Harden, the turnover count was a bit high for Westbrook on that night, as he recorded seven. However, few will complain about that when the turnovers are part of a 50-point triple-double on efficient shooting percentages.
Joel Embiid (November 13, 2022 vs. Utah)
“The Process” appeared hellbent on winning Most Valuable Player from the start of the 2022-23 campaign, and he would achieve that goal. One of Embiid’s best performances, and best fantasy stat lines, came in a mid-November win over the Jazz. He shot 19-of-28 from the field and 20-of-24 from the foul line, putting up 59 points to go along with 11 rebounds, eight assists, one steal, seven blocks and one three-pointer.
G Luka Dončić, Dallas Mavericks (December 27, 2022 vs. New York)
Dončić also put up some elite stat lines during that 2022-23 campaign. Having scored 50 points in a win over the Magic two days before Christmas, the then-Mavericks star was even better in an overtime win over the Knicks two days after the holiday. Shooting 21-of-31 from the field and 16-of-22 from the line, Dončić scored 60 points while also recording 21 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, one blocked shot and two three-pointers. And he played 47 of a possible 53 minutes.
Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (January 2, 2023 vs. Chicago)
On the second day of 2023, Mitchell torched the Bulls in an 11-point overtime victory. In 50 minutes, he put up 71 points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, one block and seven three-pointers. Mitchell was efficient, shooting 22-of-34 from the field, including a 15-of-19 night from two, and 20-of-25 from the foul line. Like the other players on this list, Spida was unstoppable on that night, much to the delight of fantasy managers who had him on their rosters.
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets (March 7, 2025 vs. Phoenix and April 1, 2025 vs. Minnesota)
Jokić boasts a long list of stat lines that basketball fans can sift through to find some of his “greatest hits.” But these two games, played within a month of each other last season, stick out. In the early March win over the Suns, the three-time league MVP scored “only” 31 points but also recorded 21 rebounds, 22 points, three steals and three three-pointers. Also, Jokić attempted only three free throws that day.
As for the April Fool’s Day masterclass against the Timberwolves, Jokić recorded the first, and to this point, only 60-point game. Shooting 18-of-29 from the field and 19-of-24 from the foul line, The Joker finished with 61 points while also recording 10 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and six three-pointers. He’s one of three players in league history to have recorded a 60-point triple-double, with Harden and Dončić being the others.