Bam Adebayo's 83 should be celebrated, but let's be honest about it

No matter how Bam Adebayo did it, 83 points is still 83 points.

Had Erik Spoelstra only pulled Bam Adebayo from Tuesday's game around the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter, when the Miami Heat were up 28 points, there would be universal praise for Adebayo's historic night against the Washington Wizards.

He had 70 points at that point of a game that was well wrapped up, becoming the 11th player in NBA history to reach the milestone. This would've been a incredible accomplishment for anyone, but especially Adebayo, who has never averaged more than 20 points in a season.

Instead, Adebayo and the Heat had their sights set on Kobe Bryant. 81. And that pursuit in the final minutes -- an ugly, pitiful pursuit -- is where the discourse around his 83-point finish soured.

Let's get one thing out the way now. I have no problem with Miami leaving Adebayo in the game and feeding him the ball every possession to chase history. Especially at home, this was an exciting thing for fans to witness. And it was Bam Adebayo of all people. I don't think there would have been many complaints through his 77th point, which would've ranked as fourth-most ever.

The problem came from the tactics Miami used to push him over Bryant in the final two minutes, intentionally fouling and missing free throws to gain extra possessions while already leading big. That's not ethical basketball. And I think that's OK to acknowledge.