.The 2011 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2010--11 season of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks defeated the Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, 4--2, to win their first NBA title. Dallas became the latest NBA team from Texas to win its first title, after the Houston Rockets won back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995, and the San Antonio Spurs won in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007; all three Texas NBA teams have now won at least one NBA Championship. It was also the first time in 3 years that the Los Angeles Lakers did not make the finals. The series was held from May 31 to June 12, 2011. Under the 2--3--2 rotation, the Miami Heat had home-court advantage; the Heat hosted Games 1, 2, and 6, and was set to host a deciding Game 7, had one been necessary. German player Dirk Nowitzki was named the Finals MVP. Nowitzki was the second European to win the award after Tony Parker (2007); he is the first German to win the award.[2] Going into the series, the Heat were heavy favorites[3][4] with their newly acquired stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh along with returning star Dwyane Wade. The series was a rematch of the 2006 Finals, which was won by the Heat in 6 games after Dallas blew a 2--0 series lead.[2] The Dallas Mavericks became the first team in NBA history since the institution of the 2--3--2 format to enter Game 3 tied at 1, lose Game 3 and still win the Finals ...