Guest judge Dwyane Wade pushed his Golden Buzzer for acrobatic dance troupe V Unbeatable on Tuesday’s episode of America’s Got Talent.
The 37-year-old basketball star’s move filled the stage with confetti and sent them straight through to the live shows in Hollywood.
Although there were 18 acts to review, and just seven to send through, Dwyane had an immediate, visceral reaction to the 29-man group, which had worked hard to make it to AGT from the slums of Mumbai, India.
Guest judge: Dwyane Wade pushed his Golden Buzzer on Tuesday’s episode of America’s Got Talent for acrobatic dance troupe V Unbeatable
‘Baby, put your hand on my heart,’ Dwyane said to his wife Gabrielle Union, 46, a fellow judge. ‘My heart is beating at a rapid pace that I haven’t felt before.’
Without a net to protect themselves, the crew performed death-defying somersaults through the air, flipping over chairs, each other and the judges’ table while mixing in a synchronized dance to keep everyone’s energy high.
They worked so speedily and precisely that everyone held their breath, waiting for an accident to happen.
When it was all over, the screaming crowd gave them a standing ovation.
Cute couple: Gabrielle Union welcomed her husband Dwayne to the judges’ table
‘Wow, wow, wow, wow!’ cried judge Julianne Hough, 31. ‘You should be very proud.’
Dwyane was blown away, praising their athleticism, effort and sacrifice.
‘I had this saying that whenever I hit a big shot, whenever I hit a game winner,’ recalled the 13-time NBA All-Star and former Miami Heat guard. ‘I jumped up on the stand and I said, ”This is my house”.’
Fan favorites: V Unbeatable got the crowd going with their death-defying stunts
‘And today, on this stage, this is y’all’s house,’ he said, slamming the Golden Buzzer.
V Unbeatable being singled out was especially touching as they performed in honor of former member Vikas, a child who died during rehearsal six years ago.
It was a nice moment for the newly retired NBA superstar, too, who was excited to join his wife at the head table for the second round of judges’ cuts.
High flying: The wild routine featured dancers flying high in the air
Hoops star: Former pro basketball player Dwyane received a warm welcome
But V Unbeatable wasn’t the only act that did well.
The judges took a shine to the Bir Khalsa Group, also from India, which performed terrifying stunts that left the crowd gasping.
The three turban-wearing ‘best friends’ had said they liked doing everyday activities together, like shopping, but their act was far from pedestrian.
Best friends: Bir Khalsa thrilled the audience with their danger act
‘We will not let Simon Cowell down tonight,’ insisted member Karamjit Singh, promising something ‘more dangerous’ than what they did last time.
As audience members cringed, Karamjit pressed his stomach against the point of a giant metal arrow, and spun himself around on top of it.
His friend Kawaljit Singh then used a sledgehammer to smash a huge block of ice on the head and torso of their other pal, Jagdeep Singh.
Ice block: Kawaljit Singh used a sledgehammer to smash a huge block of ice on the head and torso of pal Jagdeep Singh
When he slammed it down hard onto Jagdeep’s unprotected chest, the audience shrieked and jumped out of their seats.
And when Kawaljit broke open coconuts on Karamjit’s head with a giant stick, and did it blindfolded, the audience was theirs.
‘Can y’all just be my friends?,’ said the 6’4” Dwyane, who looked tiny next to 7’6” Jagdeep.
The host: Terry Crews kept the two-hour show on NBC moving
‘What is this? What is this? What are you?’ said judge Howie Mandel, 63.
Adorable girl group GForce, made up of five tween performers from Toronto, said they wanted to be the ‘next One Direction’ and tour the world.
They performed an original song called Simon Says, which they said was about their previous experience on the show.
Tough judge: Howie Mandel was tough on several acts during the Judge Cuts 2 episode
‘Last time, you said we need to be our own bosses, and this round we really want to show you that we are the bosses…’ Ava Ro began.
‘And always has been,’ her friend Holly Gorski finished.
The pint-sized pros then awed the crowd with a flawlessly executed song-and-dance routine that garnered them thunderous applause.
Girl power: GForce returned with an original song called Simon Says
They were like mini Spice Girls.
‘The reason I wanted to become a judge on America’s Got Talent was precisely for this moment,’ said Gabrielle.
Howie disliked it, but there was only one opinion that mattered to the girls.
Mixed reviews: Howie disliked it, but Gabrielle enjoyed their performance
‘What is Simon gonna say?’ Holly asked.
‘I think this is a way, way better audition than the first time,’ revealed Simon, 59.
Singer Olivia Calderon, 47, had the crowd on its feet, too, belting out a passionate ballad in Spanish.
Spanish language: Singer Olivia Calderon, 47, had the crowd on its feet, belting out a passionate ballad in Spanish
‘You are meant to be on this stage,’ opined judge Julianne.
Dwyane dissented.
‘It wasn’t my thing,’ he relayed, sitting down.
Designer sweatshirt: Dwyane wore a black Dolce & Gabbana sweatshirt
‘It’s not your cup of tea,’ Olivia said. ‘But it could be your cup of tequila.’
Magician Dom Chambers, 26, came onstage with an unusual assistant— his iPhone’s own Siri, who cracked jokes to the judges.
Dom first asked Howie to select a card from a deck, then Siri produced the image of a folded-up card that looked just like it.
Magic man: Dom Chambers performed a magic routine with a voice-activated assistant
In one smooth move, Dom swiped it from the screen, rendering it real and unfolding the card to reveal the seven of hearts, which was Howie’s choice.
He then had Juliette think of a drink from a cocktail list.
When she said she’d picked a tequila sunrise, Dom poured one from his phone and had her taste it to verify.
Fun outfit: Gabrielle had a ruffled pink sash across her body
‘This is the best magic I’ve ever seen,’ Dwyane marveled.
North London’s Mat Ricardo, 49, used knife tricks and sleight of hand to charm the crowd, whipping the tablecloth off a table without upsetting any of its dishes, then sliding it back on under the dishes in one fell swoop.
Singer Lamont Landers, 28, crooned Pink’s Walk Me Home on his guitar, to mixed effect.
Good effort: North London’s Mat Ricardo, 49, used knife tricks and sleight of hand to charm the crowd, whipping the tablecloth off a table without upsetting any of its dishes, then sliding it back on under the dishes in one fell swoop
‘I feel that you can give more,’ Dwyane told the Huntsville, Alabama, resident.
Simon was similarly underwhelmed: ‘It had no drama. It had no emotion.’
Adaline Bates, 63, crooned the 1981 Lionel Richie hit Endless Love, which she performed in costume as half-man, half-woman, but it fell flat.
Nice try: Adaline Bates, 63, crooned the 1981 Lionel Richie hit Endless Love, which she performed in costume as half-man, half-woman, but it fell flat
Ventriloquist Michael Paul got an ‘X’ from Simon for his comedic act, which incorporated ‘the world’s oldest gymnast’ puppet, Nadia.
‘I thought it was a terrible act,’ Simon said.
Drag performer Gingzilla’s cover of Madonna’s 1984 classic, Material Girl, continued the losing streak.
Noticeable drop: Drag performer Gingzilla’s cover of Madonna’s 1984 classic, Material Girl, continued the losing streak of weak performances
‘I’m disappointed, ’cause I thought you could have done better tonight,’ Simon offered.
Thankfully, the next performer, Alex Dowis, won over the judges.
The projection artist used lights, music, news audio and a darkened room to movingly recreate scenes from the 1969 Apollo 11 space mission.
Moon mission: Light Art Show used lights, music, news audio and a darkened room to movingly recreate scenes from the 1969 Apollo 11 space mission
Light guy: Alex Dowis won over the judges with his projection show
‘I got goosebumps on my goosebumps, literally,’ Simon revealed.
‘Brilliant dancers’ Adem Show whipped up an articulate routine that had the movie Night At The Museum as their theme.
Lifelong friends Izzy, 11, and Easteron, 14, performed a stunning dance piece about warriors.
Dance group: Adem Show whipped up an articulate routine that had the movie Night At The Museum as their theme
Shadow-dancing troupe Verba Shadow, from the Ukraine, made the judges pay attention.
On a previous show, their dance about war, sacrifice and love was a huge hit, and quickly went viral.
Now they brought to life the fantastical tale of a witch in trouble, borrowing thematic elements from The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter.
Fantasy tale: Shadow-dancing troupe Verba Shadow, from the Ukraine, made the judges pay attention
The judges loved the ‘good versus evil’ tale.
‘That was the greatest three-minute movie that I’ve ever watched in my life,’ Dwyane said.
Everyone was happy to see the return of Robert Finley, a blind 65-year-old singer from Winnsboro, Louisiana.
Nailed it: Verba Shadow brought to life the fantastical tale of a witch in trouble, borrowing thematic elements from The Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter.
Robert had given up on his rock star dreams to hold a steady job and raise his kids.
Now his kids were hoping to give something back to him.
‘He set aside his dreams to make sure that me and my sisters had [things],’ his daughter said. ‘I only have one daddy, so I can do the same thing.’
Blues singer: Robert Finley, a blind 65-year-old singer from Winnsboro, Louisiana, returned with an original blues song, Medicine Woman
Robert’s original blues song, Medicine Woman, begged a paramour to have mercy on his soul, and set him yearning for her ‘healing touch.’
‘Can’t get it on the corner/ Can’t get it at the store/ But every time I get it, I want more, more, more,’ he sang as the audience went nuts.
‘Mr. Finley, you did not come to play with us today,’ Gabrielle raved. ‘You put everybody backstage on notice.’
Not playing: The blind singer was not playing as he thrilled the crowd with his performance
Simon loved it, too, adding that he had ‘once left a show… because I could not get over this rule that anyone over the age of 29 could not be part of a singing competition.’
One of his old shows, American Idol, had an upper limit of 28.
The hand-balancing act DuoFusion, from Orlando, Florida, also won applause, with a man lifting his upside-down wife in the air while he was bent over a chair backward.
Florida act: The hand-balancing act DuoFusion, from Orlando, Florida, also won applause
He then stood up while still holding her.
Valerie Sassyfras, a ‘wacky’ singer, recapped ‘Girls’ Night Out,’ her song from last time. The only difference was she now had backup dancers.
‘Girls night out, I’m gonna go crazy,’ she sang. ‘Girls night out, I’m horny and I’m lazy.’
Going crazy: Valerie Sassyfras, a ‘wacky’ singer, recapped ‘Girls’ Night Out,’ her song from last time, but the only difference was she now had backup dancers
She quickly got three X’s, but Gabrielle loved it.
‘I believe that Ms. Sassyfras is my wife’s spirit animal,’ Dwyane said.
The last to perform was comedian Ryan Niemiller, 36, who poked fun at a birth defect that had left him with severely shortened arms.
Last up: Ryan Niemiller, 36, who poked fun at a birth defect that had left him with severely shortened arms
‘I just flew in from Indiana, and boy are my arms missing!’ he joked. ‘Well, that’s United for you.’
He joked about going through a drive-through and having a fast-food worker sign ‘Thank you’ to him.
‘I don’t know if it’s just a quirky thing she does, or she thought I have all the disabilities, and she’s just covering her bases,’ he mused.
Good one: The comedian joked about going through a drive-through and having a fast-food worker sign ‘Thank you’ to him
‘You are just funny and bright and lovable and memorable, and deserve a spot on this show,’ Howie offered.
Ryan got one. So did light artist Alex, magician Dom, girl group GForce, blues singer Robert and Indian troupe Bir Khalsa.
America’s Got Talent will return next week on NBC.
Live shows: Dom survived the judges’ cuts to the live shows in Hollywood along with comic Ryan, light artist Alex, girl group GForce, blues singer Robert and Indian troupe Bir Khalsa