Dwyane Wade: The 10 Best Games Of His Career

June 13, 2006 — Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks

42 points, 13 rebounds and two assists in 43 minutes

Wade’s play in Game 3 of the 2006 Finals is the stuff of legends.

Down 2-0 in the series, Miami desperately needed to win Game 3 if it was to have any shot at ultimately being crowned NBA champs. And after the Mavericks outscored Miami 34-16 in the third quarter to give themselves a nine-point lead headed into the fourth, it didn’t appear as if the Heat were going to get the much-needed victory.

Then, the comeback, led by Wade, was on.

Wade scored 15 points in the fourth and the Heat stunned the basketball world, winning 98-96 and cutting the series deficit to 2-1. Dwyane finished the game with 42 points while shooting 14-of-26 from the field and 13-for-18 from the line.

It was one of the more gutty performances you’ll ever see. Wade, in just his third year in the league, with all the pressure on his shoulders, willed his team in a must-win game against a Mavs team that won 60 games in the regular season.

The rest is history. Wade torched the Mavericks in the following three games, including the 36-point performance in Game 6 we discussed earlier, and he claimed the first of his three championships.

Next: Where is Wade among the 30 best shooting guards of all-time?