Stephen A. Smith had very different reactions to two historic scoring performances in recent NBA history. While he congratulated Bam Adebayo for his 83-point explosion, his reaction to Luka Doncic’s 73-point night was far harsher, calling the defensive effort in that game a ‘disgrace.’
Adebayo recently shocked the basketball world by scoring 83 points in a win for the Miami Heat over the Washington Wizards. The performance surpassed Kobe Bryant’s famous 81-point game and now stands as the second-highest scoring performance in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game.
Smith acknowledged that some critics questioned the context of Adebayo’s performance, particularly the massive free-throw total and the level of competition.
“This is a day that he deserves to be celebrated because he’s one of the good guys that goes about the business of grabbing his lunch pail and showing up to work every day and doing what he can to be the best that he can be.”
“It just so happens that Ime Udoka, the head coach for the Houston Rockets, had the soundbite of the day when told about Bam Adebayo’s performance last night. He brought up the 43 free throws, and then he said, ‘And it was against the Wizards.’ That’s what he said. And that said it all. That’s where I get it, but I’m not blaming Bam Adebayo for that. Congrats to him. It’s his moment.”
While Smith acknowledged the circumstances of the game, he ultimately chose to celebrate Adebayo’s accomplishment rather than criticize it.
His tone was completely different when discussing Doncic’s 73-point performance in a 148-143 win over the Atlanta Hawks in 2024. In that game, Doncic finished with 73 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists while shooting an incredible 25-of-33 from the field. It tied for the fourth-highest scoring game in NBA history.
Despite the historic numbers, Smith focused heavily on Atlanta’s defensive effort, which he believed made the performance look more like an All-Star Game than a competitive NBA contest.
“I’m saying the fans don’t want guys getting mugged and no fouls getting called, but the fans didn’t want what we saw last night in Atlanta. Did you see that? I mean, that was a layup line. The Atlanta Hawks. No wonder why y’all stink. Did you see how they played defense last night?”
“I mean, this is not Joel Embiid, who played bully ball because you have a thin Victor Wembanyama on you. We understand that. We expect that. This is not a situation where Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 58 in the first three quarters and then disappeared with the APB out for him in the fourth quarter and all of this other stuff. But the 58 points he scored in those first three quarters, a lot of those points, he was being challenged.”
“This is not that. What transpired last night in Atlanta was disgraceful. It made me feel like, I mean, let’s just go out and get somebody that don’t want you to play defense. All you got to do is play offense. You don’t have to play defense. That’s what the hell took place in Atlanta last night.”
“There’s a difference. Don’t tell me anybody wants that. No, you don’t want to change it and go back to old times, but in the same breath, you don’t mean for it to resemble the first three quarters at NBA All-Star Weekend, which is what last night looked like in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hawks, you should be ashamed of your damn self. You really should.”
The contrast between Smith’s reactions highlights how differently record-breaking performances can be viewed depending on context.
Doncic’s game, while historically efficient with 91% true shooting, came in a fast-paced contest where both teams struggled to get stops. Meanwhile, Adebayo’s 83-point night came in a dominant win where Miami controlled the game throughout. Regardless of the debate, both performances remain among the greatest scoring displays the league has ever seen.
Doncic’s 73-point game still stands tied for fourth in NBA history, while Adebayo’s 83-point explosion now sits directly behind Wilt Chamberlain’s legendary 100-point performance. And despite Stephen A. Smith’s criticism, both nights will remain unforgettable chapters in NBA scoring history.
