Miami take first-ever NBA title

Wade excelled throughout the play-offs for the Heat

Miami beat Dallas 95-92 in game six of the NBA finals to end their 18-year wait for a first national title.

The victory in front of a stunned Mavericks crowd gave the Heat a 4-2 win in the best-of-seven series.

They become only the third team in NBA finals to come back from losing the first two games to clinch the crown.

Guard Dwyane Wade top-scored with 36 points and was named play-offs MVP after a sensational run of performances in the finals.

"This is a team award," Wade said as he was handed the MVP trophy, "Like, it's a team championship."

Udonis Haslem added 17 points for the Heat, who won game six despite hitting just two of 18 from beyond the arc.

The great Pat Riley told us we were going to win today Shaquille O'Neal

Dirk Nowitzki paced Dallas with 29 points and 15 rebounds, but the German and his team-mates were well beaten by a confident Miami.

Their victory have veteran coach Pat Riley his fifth championship ring - making him the third-most successful NBA coach of all time.

Star centre Shaquille O'Neal added another to the three he won with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Riley only returned as Heat head coach in December

The Heat have often excelled in the regular season but failed in the play-offs due to poor form or running into title-bound teams like Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.

Dallas crushed Miami in the first two games of the finals in Texas and it looked as if they were experiencing another post-season collapse.

But the Heat caught fire and gained confidence in Miami, winning all three games inspired by the stellar play of Wade who averaged 40 points.

The 24-year-old has often been compared to NBA legend Jordan.

But Riley said: "He's a pretty good player himself. I think it's time for Dwyane to take on his own persona."

Riley is in his second stint as Miami's head coach, having replaced Stan van Gundy in December.

The 61-year-old led Magic Johnson and the "showtime" LA Lakers to four NBA titles in the 1980s.