Mavericks top Heat 105-95 for first title

MIAMI (AP):

The season began with LeBron James taking his talents to South Beach.

It ended with Dirk Nowitzki taking the NBA championship trophy there for a late-night celebration.

Soaked in champagne in their locker room and spraying more around at a Miami Beach club hours later, the Dallas Mavericks not only added at least another year to James' wait for an NBA title, but they got to have the season's biggest - and final - party.

Jason Terry scored 27 points, Nowitzki scored 21 on his way to MVP honours, and the Mavs topped the Miami Heat 105-95 on Sunday night to win the NBA title in six games.

"Nobody can ever take this away from us again," Nowitzki said. "And, for one year, we were the best team that was out there. That feels amazing."

Added Terry: "We got vindication."

James did not.

Celebrating

His eighth season ended like the previous seven - without a title. For the second time, he lost in the finals, this defeat added to the four-game sweep San Antonio put on his Cleveland team in 2007. And a season that began with Miami celebrating the signings of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh ended before many of the same fans and on the very same floor, the promise of championships not yet fulfilled.

"Any time you feel like you get to the top of the mountain and you fall off, there's definitely a personal failure," James said.

He scored 21 points for Miami, which got 19 from Bosh, 18 from Mario Chalmers and 17 from Dwyane Wade. James shook hands afterwards and departed before most of the Mavs tugged on their championship hats and T-shirts. Bosh doubled over halfway down the hall in anguish, covering his face. Wade tugged his jersey off as he walked from the court for the season's final time.