Just seconds later, he jogged to the opposite baseline to give his mother an extended hug, much to the delight of the cheering crowd around them.
As he prepared for his second Finals appearance against the Dallas Mavericks, and possibly on his way to a second championship, all appeared right in Wade’s world.
And then the game started.
And then he again became the “who is that?” player we saw for most of the Eastern Conference finals.
The player who matched a Heat franchise-high with nine turnovers in that dramatic Game 5 win against Chicago reappeared to start this series. A 1-of-5 shooting performance in the first quarter. Three turnovers in the second quarter.
By the end of the first half of a game that was sloppy on both sides, Wade was the sloppiest. Unfamiliar. Rhythmless.
This was the Wade we saw against the Bulls and assumed was injured. He spent four days insisting he wasn’t, but he would’ve had to face another round of those same questions if this is how he continued to perform.
Then came the fourth quarter, and apparently with it a reminder that it was the Finals and he was playing the Mavericks and he has quite a history in this exact scenario. He recovered, confidently taking jump shots and making jump shots.
It is what the Heat is going to need to continue its success in this series after a Game 1 win. More of the self-assured Wade. More of the player who knows he can take Jason Kidd or DeShawn Stevenson or Jason Terry or even Shawn Marion at will.
Because these Finals are, already, begging for vintage Wade.
Back in 2006, he murdered the Mavs with his mid-range game. He carved through the Dallas zone with ease. He got to the foul line so often Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reportedly insisted the NBA was rigged.
Granted, this Heat team doesn’t require Wade to do all of those things. But he is equipped to do them. Without all of those things, this Mavericks defense can force LeBron James into three-pointers. Three-pointers he made Tuesday, yes, but not exactly a reasonable plan of attack.
Without all of those things, the Mavs defense can turn Chris Bosh into an hesitant shooter and clumsy driver. Without all of those things, Mario Chalmers becomes a volume shooter and a critical contributor.
We’ve seen this from Wade before, an extended slump that made everyone assume he was hurting and not telling anyone.
That was back in November, though, when the excuse was simple: He hadn’t played at all in the preseason and was, at the time, largely unfamiliar with what it felt like to play James and Bosh.
But this time, there didn’t seem to be any legitimate reason for it. Yes, it was fair to credit a strong Bulls defense. But it didn’t explain why Wade had abandoned certain parts of his game. It didn’t explain why he missed dunks and layups he would normally make blindfolded.
It was so evident in the first half Tuesday that Wade was passing up good mid-range looks that it even drew an impatient groan from the crowd that adores him.
Even after he hit a couple of shots in the third quarter, he followed that up by passing on a jumper and handing it instead to Bosh for a desperate attempt just before the shot-clock buzzer.
It didn’t seem like the Wade we’ve grown accustomed to, nor did it look like the Wade we expected to see after his subpar series against the Bulls.
The 2006 Finals was playing all day leading up to Tuesday’s rematch. And in that series, Wade wasn’t passing up any opportunities. Nor should he in this series, as the fourth quarter confirmed.
When the Heat’s at its best, Wade is free to think “score first.” He did it against the Sixers. He did it against Boston. He tried against the Bulls, until the missed shots and the turnovers began to pile up in the last two games. And it appeared those miscues might’ve affected his confidence. Because it wasn’t until the second half of Game 1 that he began to assert himself and look like the familiar Wade.
Maybe those 15 second-half points will reignite Wade. Maybe that fourth quarter will reset Wade to championship mode. Maybe that blocked shot followed by a step-back three that gave the Heat an 82-73 lead will erase those memories of the Bulls series. And maybe that lob pass to LeBron for the exclamation dunk will push Wade back into 2006 form.
“Maybe this will be something that can spark him,” Erik Spoelstra said of Wade’s fourth quarter. “All I know is he made a lot of winning plays.
“I’m not going to overanalyze his first half.”
Clearly, he doesn’t absolutely have to be at his best to beat these Mavericks. But it certainly will make it a lot easier. And it certainly would make all things right in Wade’s world once again.
