An unprecedented scoring explosion shattered franchise records, exposing a critical lack of defensive physicality for the Washington Wizards.
There's no easy way to describe what exactly went wrong when someone scores 83 points on your defense. Regardless of how it happened, the end-of-game theatrics or the number of free throws, it still happened -- and that won't be an easy pill to swallow for the Wizards.
The Wizards ended up on the wrong side of history on Tuesday, as Adebayo got going early and never stopped. Once Kobe Bryant's 81-point performance appeared within reach, the Heat did whatever was possible to help him get there. Doubles, even triple teams from Washington at the end of the game, could not stop him, as he continued to make his way to the line.
Adebayo's 36 made free throws destroyed Adrian Dantley's previous record of 28 made on a single night. The Miami big now stands at the top of modern NBA scoring performances, only looking up at Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point contest in 1962.
Wizards head coach Brian Keefe was not happy with some of the calls made late in the game.
"There were a lot of foul calls," Keefe said. "[Adebayo] still got some free throws 40 feet from the rim -- I can't explain some of those calls."
How could this possibly have happened? Adebayo averaged only 16.1 points per game over the course of his nine-year career. How did a hot start turn into 31 points in the first quarter and 43 points before halftime? Perhaps the Wizards' lack of physicality was the part. The Wizards are the lightest team in the NBA, posting an average weight of 202 pounds, according to Basketball Reference.
Alex Sarr played on a 20-minute restriction for the night, so the blame doesn't fall solely on him, but Adebayo went at Sarr often in the opening minutes, which allowed him to get this historical night going. Sarr is one of the better rim protectors in the league, but his interior defense is still limited in his age 20 season due to his lighter frame. This is something Sarr can improve upon through diligence in the weight room. General manager Will Dawkins told reporters before the season that Sarr had put on some significant size compared to his rookie season.
In minutes without Sarr, the Wizards utilized Tristan Vukcevic off the bench, who returned from injury. However, Vukcevic is still very much a work in progress on the defensive end. Toward the end of the game, Anthony Gill, Will Riley, and Bilal Coulibaly were all triple-teaming and face-guarding Adebayo, but he continued to draw contact.
Adebayo shot 16 free throws in the fourth quarter, including tons of those in the final minutes when Miami was intentionally fouling Washington to extend the game. The Wizards were trying at the end to prevent him from reaching the mark, but they were unsuccessful in doing so.
Washington hopes the addition of Anthony Davis fixes some of these physicality issues in the short-term next season. However, this could become an issue long-term if the Wizards do not address it. Many of the players they've drafted in the last three seasons resemble a similar build, one that features athleticism and positional size. With that, the Wizards haven't added a super physical or bruising type of interior defender.
Additionally, the Wizards turned the ball over 23 times, which massively contributed to Adebayo's chances to get shots on offense, especially in the final quarter.
"We've got to be better with our ball security, and we've got to own the fact that we let this guy get hot. That's on us," Keefe said.
When a performance like this happens to a team, they have to face tons of scrutiny from around the league.
Rockets head coach Ime Udoka didn't shy away from commenting on the Wizards allowing this.
"First thing you think is how — not because of him, but because of the way he plays. I saw he only made six threes but 40 free throws or something like that, tells the story right there, and the Washington Wizards," Udoka said.
The Wizards organization has preached defense as part of the identity they're aiming for. Last night was not a result they can be satisfied with, regardless of the team continuing to increase its chances at a top pick in an upcoming draft class considered loaded.
The Wizards head to Orlando to face the Magic on Thursday evening, providing an opportunity to respond to what went very wrong for them on Tuesday.