NBA history was reset on Tuesday night that it even altered broadcasting schedules. After Bam Adebayo surpassed Kobe Bryant to make the second highest score in a game in NBA history, The Hoop Collective had to have an ’emergency’ sitdown. And it was not to celebrate. Adebayo’s 83 point outing however, utterly ground on Tim McMahon’s nerves. Yet he also took vicarious pleasure in the Washington Wizards ending up on the wrong side of history.

When Brian Windhorst opened the floor for his rant, McMahon delivered a scathing review of Adebayo, the Miami Heat and the ‘Lizards.’ “I’m being a bit over the top with this. The guy had 31 in the first quarter… but man, this was a hilarious exhibition of hideous basketball against the Washington – no, not the Generals. The Lizards.”

McMahon has sarcastically renamed the Washington team as the Lizards because of their blatant tanking antics since acquiring Anthony Davis and Trae Young. For that reason, he believes that they desereved to be humiliated by Adebayo. Former Raptors HC, Sam Mitchell never got over Kobe Bryant’s 81-point massacre of his team in 2006. So it’s not great to be the team that got torched by the second-highest score in history.

“The Lizards. The blatantly tanking, deserve to be humiliated, Washington Lizards,” he claimed but he was not pleased with Bam and the Heat either. “But goodness sakes, I mean, I get it. Bam’s your guy. You know, he’s got a chance to chase some history, but you’re up 20-some intentionally fouling to extend the game with minutes left. You are—like, he’s jacking up threes while being triple-teamed.”

The Wizards lost their ninth straight game tonight. Despite Brian Keefe’s displeasure, fans taunted the team that’s blatantly tanking.

He labeled the Heat’s tactical approach in the closing minutes as the most blatant display of “stat-chasing” in league history. While Adebayo eclipsed Kobe Bryant’s 81-point mark, MacMahon argued that the manner in which it was achieved made for a “disgusting” viewing experience.

Bam Adebayo eclipes Miami Heat’s identity

While Washington isn’t celebrating, South Beach is thrilled. However, the ESPN analyst is virtually ripping off the very identity of Miami and its NBA team. “I never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever want to hear about ‘Heat Culture’ and professionalism and all that crap again because that was the most blatant stat-chasing I’ve ever seen.”

The Heat Culture is Miami Heat’s famed internal standard set by team president, Pat Riley. From training on a military base to strict conditioning rules, it’s held to high regard for hard work and oncourt conduct. Obviously McMahon doesn’t think Bam Adebayo’s 83 is a reflection of that Heat Culture.

The controversy stems from the final frame of Miami’s 150-129 victory. Despite holding a massive lead, the Heat began intentionally fouling Washington players to stop the clock, ensuring Adebayo would have enough possessions to surpass Bryant.

Adebayo finished the night 20-of-43 from the field and set a staggering NBA record with 36 makes on 43 free-throw attempts. The volume of whistles led MacMahon to joke that the refs “had to change their whistles out midway through the fourth quarter.”

The analyst went as far as to compare the performance to Victor Wembanyama’s 39-point outing from the same week, stating, “I enjoyed the ethical 39 by Wemby more than I enjoyed the egregious 83.”

The comparison isn’t just a criticism of Adebayo’s game. By calling out both teams, Tim McMahon highlights a growing downsides of high-scoring totals within rampant tanking culture.