Amid Tyrese Haliburton And Co’s Rise, Dwyane Wade Shows Off His Iconic ‘He’s A Flopper’ Game Against Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are riding a wave of momentum, fueled by Tyrese Haliburton’s brilliance and their return to postseason relevance. Amidst it all, Dwyane Wade—a man who knows a thing or two about winning—decided to jog some memories and stir up a bit of nostalgia.

The postseason hadn’t been kind to Indiana over the last decade. Between 2014 and 2023, they were knocked out in the first round five times and missed the playoffs entirely in the other seasons. That trend finally changed last season.

Indiana had missed the playoffs for three straight seasons, but their 2023–24 run was a memorable one. They defeated the Bucks and the Knicks to reach the Conference Finals, where they fell to the Boston Celtics, who went on to win the championship. This season, the Pacers find themselves in the same position once again, this time facing the Knicks in a series they currently lead 2–1.

Amidst the Pacers’ dream resurgence, Wade took to his Instagram story to post clips from one of his most unforgettable playoff outings.

The game in question? Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Pacers. Wade’s Miami Heat held a 3–2 lead in the series, and during Game 6 in Indiana, with the crowd in full voice, things got personal.

D-Wade was at the free-throw line when the Pacers faithful broke into chants of “He’s a flopper,” mocking the Hall of Famer, who had a reputation for drawing fouls. But instead of rattling him, Wade seemed to get some extra zest to give his 100%.

The legendary guard exploded for 41 points with 10 rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He shot 17-of-25 (68%) from the field.

 

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The Heat went on to win 105–93, defeating Indiana in six games. It was a crucial road victory that helped them avoid a Game 7 and paved the way to the NBA Finals, where they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games.

It was a pivotal post-season for Wade and Miami. Although LeBron James was leading the charge statistically, Wade was instrumental throughout, especially in the Pacers series, where he averaged 26.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.

The Heat-Pacers playoff battles during that era were nothing short of electric. After their 2012 Eastern Conference Semifinal clash, the two teams met again in the Conference Finals the following two years.

In 2012–13, the Heat edged them out in a seven-game series, and the next year, it took six games to close out the Pacers once more.