Draymond Green defended Bam Adebayo after his historic 83-point game, calling out critics who questioned how he scored the points. Green slammed the "unwritten rules" about resting players in blowouts and praised the Heat for letting Adebayo chase the record, saying the performance deserves recognition rather than criticism.
Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo made history on Tuesday night, scoring 83 points to become just the third player in NBA history to surpass 80 in a game.
Miami Heat / Schedule
While some criticized the way he reached the milestone, Draymond Green came to Adebayo's defense, calling out what he sees as outdated basketball "rules".
"Y'all want [Erik Spoelstra] to feel bad for that organization and take Bam out of the game and not let him go after records?" Green said on The Draymond Green Show. "I hate these unwritten a** rules in basketball about, 'don't score because y'all are ahead.' F*** that!"*
The criticism stems from Adebayo attempting 43 free throws and the Heat intentionally fouling in the final minutes to give him more scoring opportunities. Green argued that blaming the Heat or Adebayo is unfair.
"This loser a** mentality that people have in this world is actually pathetic. 'You're supposed to take him out of the game because you're up so many points,' Says who? It's not his fault they stink! Bam goes for 83."
Green also highlighted the double standard in basketball. Historically, coaches will rest starters in blowout games, even if a player is approaching a historic milestone.
Joel Embiid's 70-point game against the Spurs in 2024 is a prime example, he played only five minutes in the fourth quarter despite being on track to score even more.
Green praised the Heat for allowing Adebayo to chase the record, calling it the right way to celebrate a historic performance. "If it were easy, someone would have done it before," Green added, emphasizing that Adebayo's achievement deserves recognition, not criticism.
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