Most people expected a Game 4 explosion from LeBron James. He vowed to be better and more aggressive after the Miami Heat lost by 36 points to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3. What we saw was Dwyane Wade finally make a statement in these NBA Finals.

Whether it’s due to injury, frustration or good defense from the Spurs, Wade has struggled to make a lasting positive impact on the series. In Game 4, however, he was the Heat’s catalyst, setting the tone and leading the way to victory, tying the series at 2-2. Wade also gave everyone a reminder of how he can change a game. It’s hard to truly understand his impact while watching him struggle through injury. There is also the issue of his contributions, large or small, being overshadowed by the attention paid to James, his more famous teammate. After his latest performance, there won’t be many doubting what he can do and how important he is to the Heat’s success. Contrary to popular belief, the Heat have more than one All-Star on the roster.

“No matter how great you are, no matter what your résumé is, to have a game like this,” James said. “It lets you know that you're still one bad ‑‑ you know the next two words. I can't say, my kids may be watching. That dude was amazing. Like I said, he was '06 Flash tonight. And we needed every bit of him.”

There is no doubt that Wade needed to have a big game. Not only for his teammates, not only to silence the critics – those that haven’t completely forgotten about him – he needed to gain some confidence that he could have a big game in spite of the injury and still contribute top-tier performances for his team.

Wade was aggressive from the start of the game. He attacked offensively and disrupted the Spurs with his defense. Finishing the game with 32 points, six rebounds, four assist and a playoff career-high six steals, Wade controlled the game and set the tone for the champs. It was his best game of the playoffs and a performance that could serve as a springboard for the remainder of the Finals.

“I needed a game like this, but my teammates needed a game like this from me,” Wade said. “They needed me to be aggressive, needed me to play the way that I'm capable of. Most important, they needed the Big Three to play the way we're capable of.”

Things only get tougher for Wade and the Heat following their Game 4 victory. They’ve been great following losses, but so far in the Finals neither team has been able win consecutive games. Wade, until his breakout performance, hasn’t been able to put together complete game performances. If the Heat have any chance of winning Wade is going to need to be as good as he was in Game 4, maybe better.

It’s a challenge he understands and is looking forward to.

“I think Game 5 should be the best game of the series,” Wade said. “Both teams should come out knowing each other, knowing what each other want to do, and it should be a very good game.”