(AP) -- After years of playoff disappointments, the Dallas Mavericks sit atop the pro basketball world.
The Mavs wrapped up their first NBA championship by beating Miami 105-95 to eliminate the favored Heat in six games. Jason Terry was a huge sparkplug off the bench, scoring 19 of his game-high 27 points in the first half. The Mavs canned 11-of-26 3-point shots.
Dirk Nowitzki (noh-VIHT'-skee), the finals MVP, started slowly with just 11 points in the first three quarters. But he helped seal the deal with 10 points in the final eight minutes to finish with 21. Guards J.J. Barea added 15 points and 38-year-old Jason Kidd played a great floor game with nine points and eight assists in helping him earn his first NBA title in his 17th season.
The Mavs won four of the series' last five games and earned redemption from the 2006 NBA Finals when they won the first two games, then lost the series to Miami in six games.
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