Dwyane Wade turns back the clock with 26-point performance against Rockets
The Heat star looked like his old self against Houston, an encouraging sign for Miami fans worried that he couldn’t carry the load without LeBron James.
Mike Ehrmann
Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade sent a firm message to his critics in Tuesday's 90-85 win over the Houston Rockets. The message? "I'm not done yet."
Wade poured in 26 points on 11-17 shooting in the contest, dominating in the post, stroking mid-range jumpers and even getting to the rim a few times for finishes and dishes. He also put the game away in the final minute with this mid-range jumper over Troy Daniels.
GIF: @DwyaneWade's late jumper put the HEAT up 5 en route to tonight's #HEATwin! http://t.co/aCx4o4047G
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 22, 2014 It was arguably the best he's looked since last year's Eastern Conference Finals, when he experienced a resurgence in leading Miami to a win over the Indiana Pacers.
“I knew I was going to come out and be aggressive,” Wade said, via the Miami Herald. “I usually get to around game six, seven or eight and try to be aggressive and get into the flow. It was good tonight playing in the fourth quarter and trying to get those fourth-quarter legs.”
We all know what happened in the next series after Wade's revival against Indiana. As he did in the previous postseason, the 32-year-old wore down against the Spurs in the Finals, shooting just 7-25 in the final two games of the series. With LeBron James now in Cleveland, Wade must reassume the mantle as the Heat's top offensive option, which is not easy given the many miles on his body and the amount of rest that was needed to keep him close to peak physical performance last season.
But performances like Tuesday’s offer strong encouragement for Heat fans hoping to see the old D-Wade this year.
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