More than one week after scoring the second-most points in NBA history, forward Bam Adebayo was on the other side of a massive performance.
But it was what he said afterward that left him taking some heat.
Adebayo returned to the Miami lineup Thursday after missing the previous game with right calf tightness, looking to help his team snap a two-game losing streak.
The 28-year-old finished with 28 points on 9-of-19 shooting from the field at Kaseya Center. He also tallied 10 rebounds, two assists and one steal in 38 minutes of play.
Despite a strong showing from the three-time All-Star, the Heat couldn’t contain Luka Doncic and fell 134-126 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Doncic torched the Heat for 60 points, his most as a Laker. He shot 18-of-30 from the field, 9-of-17 from 3-point range and 15-of-19 from the foul line. LeBron James added a triple-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists.
After the game, Adebayo addressed Doncic's explosive night. In doing so, he referenced his own historic 83-point performance against the Washington Wizards on March 10. That performance surpassed Lakers legend Kobe Bryant's record for the second-most points scored in a single NBA game.
"He hit some tough shots out there," Adebayo said of Doncic. "Like it is what it is. I know what it's like to be in that mode. As people can see, it's not easy to get 80. But you know he made some tough shots."
However, not everyone appreciated the comparison.
"Luka's 60 is better than Bam's 83," one comment on X read.
"Get in there and make it about you," another responded.
"Talkin like he ain't do that against a bunch of teenagers that can't play defense without fouling," a user said.
"Brother u lost an u stil tryn find a way to somehow throw in that 80," another one added.
"Shameful clown. He did it against a playoff team not against a tanking team," a fan wrote.
"Buddy didn't drop 60 on a bunch of G league dudes! Let alone intentionally fouling to get more shots," another one said.
