Bum knee to Legendary: Ranking all of Dwyane Wade’s NBA Finals performances
By Brennan Sims
3. 2013 vs San Antonio Spurs
Stats: 19.6 PPG, 47.6 FG%, 4 REB, 4.6 AST, 1.9 STL, 1.3 BLK
The first Finals matchup between the Big 3 Heat and the Tim Duncan-Kawhi Leonard-Gregg Popovich Spurs was an instant classic.
We remember Ray Allen’s all-time clutch shot, but Wade wasn’t too shabby himself. He averaged 19.6 points on nearly 48% shooting, plus 4.6 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. The 2012 stats are better but Wade was more efficient in this one and the Spurs were a better team.
Oklahoma City and San Antonio had similar records but the Spurs had a higher net rating in their respective Finals seasons. Combine that with the fact that San Antonio was led by arguably the greatest coach of all-time, Popovich, and that they’d go on to win the championship the next season, and it’s clear this was Miami’s toughest Finals opponent during Wade’s tenure.
Wade’s Game 4 was a masterclass. With the Heat facing a 2-1 deficit, Wade etched his name in the history books. After dropping 32 points, six rebounds, four assists, and six steals, Wade became the first player to drop 32 points and six steals in a Finals game since 1988.
There’s no telling where the Heat would’ve been without D-Wade taking over the game on both sides of the floor. This was a great performance but not good enough for Finals MVP. This next showing was good enough for MVP if it would’ve went Miami’s way.