MIAMI— Five years ago, when the Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals, the widespread perception was that Pat Riley had outcoached Avery Johnson, as the Heat overcame a 2-0 deficit to take the best-of-seven series in six games. Based on comments offered Monday by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the belief in Dallas is that the 2011 championship might have come down to the edge Rick Carlisle had on Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. Interviewed on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Live,” choosing his words carefully amid the NBA lockout, Cuban offered his view on how the Mavericks took this past June’s NBA Finals in six games, after falling behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

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MIAMI— Five years ago, when the Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals, the widespread perception was that Pat Riley had outcoached Avery Johnson, as the Heat overcame a 2-0 deficit to take the best-of-seven series in six games. Based on comments offered Monday by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the belief in Dallas is that the 2011 championship might have come down to the edge Rick Carlisle had on Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. Interviewed on CNN’s “Piers Morgan Live,” choosing his words carefully amid the NBA lockout, Cuban offered his view on how the Mavericks took this past June’s NBA Finals in six games, after falling behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

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MIAMI— Five years ago, when the Miami Heat defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals, the widespread perception was that Pat Riley had outcoached Avery Johnson, as the Heat overcame a 2-0 deficit to take the best-of-seven series in six games. Based on comments offered Monday by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, the belief in Dallas is that the 2011 championship might have come down to the edge Rick Carlisle had on Heat coach Erik Spoelstra.

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BERLIN (AP) — Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki was awarded Germany’s highest honor for sport on Sunday, amid hopes that he will lead his country’s team to the 2012 Olympics. German President Christian Wulff presented Nowitzki with the Silver Laurel Leaf, praising the Dallas Mavericks forward as one of the “giants of German sport.” Nowitzki led the Mavericks to this year’s NBA title over the Miami Heat and was named the finals MVP. Wulff praised his fellow German for remaining “modest and restrained” despite his success

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BERLIN (AP) — Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki was awarded Germany’s highest honor for sport on Sunday, amid hopes that he will lead his country’s team to the 2012 Olympics. German President Christian Wulff presented Nowitzki with the Silver Laurel Leaf, praising the Dallas Mavericks forward as one of the “giants of German sport.” Nowitzki led the Mavericks to this year’s NBA title over the Miami Heat and was named the finals MVP

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