Luka Doncic’s 51-point masterpiece powered the Los Angeles Lakers to a fourth straight win over the Chicago Bulls. Yet as the Slovenian superstar walked to the bench late in the game, the Lakers’ announcers shifted the conversation toward Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo, seemingly taking a subtle jab at his controversial 83-point outing.

As Doncic exited the floor, one of the announcers said, “Luka’s not chasing numbers… His points came within the flow of the game”. As of late, Adebayo’s historic 83-point performance has been met with immense criticism. Former players like Robert Horry and Jason Williams argued the Heat star didn’t earn the record, but chased it with ‘unethical’ means.

The announcer also pointed out that Doncic needed just eight free throws to get to his milestone. Maybe it was just a general observation. But considering Adebayo’s record-setting free-throw total during his 83-point night, the comparison was hard to miss. Nonetheless, it was an unnecessary dig.

Bam Adebayo and the Heat indeed did everything to get him the record. But by the time he reached 70 points, the Heat star was shooting over 50% from the field with 25 free throws. The Wizards defended Adebayo with heavy physicality as they struggled to contain him. The Heat only played the foul game once the record came into sight, well after Adebayo showcased his scoring arsenal.

It was an exceptional performance, similar to Luka Doncic tonight. The six-time All-Star could have had a triple-double with one more assist. Doncic also hit nine of his 14 three-point attempts, along with three steals and a block. It was an all-around display by one of the MVP front-runners. The Lakers claimed their fourth straight victory and marched to the third seed in a competitive West.

“It always feels special,” Luka Doncic said of his 51-point game.

Motivated by trash talk, Doncic drove the Bulls into oblivion with his stellar performance. Matas Buzelis, the Bulls guard who woke up the demon inside the Lakers star, learned a lesson. “Probably not to talk to him,” he said after the game.

Bam Adebayo, Heat unapologetic for record-setting night

Bam Adebayo wasn’t having it with the criticism surrounding his historic night. The Heat star explained his side of the story. He had 70 points with nine minutes left in the final quarter. He argued that anybody in his position would go for the record. As for the way it happened, Adebayo feels fans should go after the Wizards coaching staff.

“You should be blaming the head coach. I was not the one letting me go one-on-one the whole game until I had 70 [points] … At that point, 70 with what? Nine minutes left to go in the game. You think I’m not going for it?” said Bam Adebayo.

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra wasn’t interested in blaming anybody. He decided to keep Adebayo on the floor of his own will. For Spoelstra, the occasion mattered more than necessity.

“I would do it 10 times out of 10 again for Bam. I’m apologizing to nobody about this. I feel just so awesome for Bam because he is about all the right things,” the Heat coach said in his statement.

It was a magical night to say the least. Bam Adebayo had everything he wanted from that performance. His mother was in the building. A’ja Wilson, his girlfriend, couldn’t contain her excitement. But most of all, the Heat star executed his duties perfectly. With three starters out, he took control and set the tone with an electric first quarter.

It’s not his fault that the Wizards didn’t change their coverage until they knew Adebayo was going for the record.