Former Northeastern star J.J. Barea is an NBA champion.

Barea, who earned his third consecutive start of the NBA Finals on Sunday night, finished with 15 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in the Dallas Mavericks' 105-95 Game 6 win over the Miami Heat.

The former CAA Player of the Year turned in a brilliant performance. He logged nearly 30 minutes of action—his most in the 2011 playoffs—in what was the most important game in Mavericks franchise history. The victory gave Dallas its first-ever NBA title.

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle inserted Barea into the starting lineup before Game 4 of the Finals. That move proved to be a turning point in the series. Dallas went a perfect 3-0 with Barea as a starter, and the team's offensive production improved by an average of 13 points per game—from an average of 88 points over the first three games to 101 points over the final three games.

For the series, Barea averaged 8.8 points and 3.2 assists per game. His numbers over the final three games, all of which he started, were even more impressive--13.3 points and 4.7 assists.

Barea is just the second Northeastern player to win an NBA title, joining Rick Weitzman, who accomplished that feat with the Boston Celtics in 1968.

After struggling offensively for the first four games of the series, Dallas eclipsed 100 points for the second straight game. Jason Terry came off the Dallas bench to lead all scorers with 27 points. Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki contributed a double-double, with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Barea (15) and Shawn Marion (12) were the other Dallas players to score in double figures. NBA veteran Jason Kidd added nine points, eight assists and four rebounds.

Five Miami players scored in double figures, led by LeBron James with 21. Chris Bosh added 19 points, followed by Mario Chalmers (18), Dwayne Wade (17) and Udonis Haslem (11).

The Mavs stormed through the first three rounds of the playoffs, dispatching Portland, 4-2, sweeping the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0, and ousting Oklahoma City, 4-1.


Barea in the playoffs
NBA Finals vs. Miami Heat • Dallas won the series, 4-2
Game 1 • 92-84, Miami • Box score, game story and video
Saw more than 18 minutes of action and registered two points, three assists and a steal in the Mavs' 92-84 loss
Game 2 • 95-93, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Continued to rattle opposing defenses with his penetration; scored five points, pulled down three rebounds and dished out one assist in more than 14 minutes in the Mavs' improbable 95-93 comeback win
Game 3 • 88-86, Miami • Box score, game story and video
Scored six points, grabbed two rebounds and handed out one assist in 19 minutes of action as the Mavs fell, 88-86
Game 4 • 86-83, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Earned a spot in the starting lineup for the first time in the playoffs and finished with eight points, four assists and three rebounds in almost 22 minutes of play
Game 5 • 112-103, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Scored 17 points on 6 of 11 shooting, including an impressive 4 of 5 from 3-point range, handed out five assists and grabbed two rebounds in the Mavs' 112-103 win
Game 6 • 105-95, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Earned his third consecutive start of the NBA Finals and finished with 15 points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals in nearly 30 minutes as the Mavericks won, 105-95, to clinch the NBA title

Conference finals vs. No. 4 Oklahoma City • Dallas won the series, 4-1
Game 1 • 121-112, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Scored 21 points on 8-12 shooting in just over 16 minutes of play in the Mavs' 121-112 win; hit a torid stretch in the second half where he scored 12 straight Mavs' points in just over three minutes
Game 2 • 106-100, Oklahoma City • Box score, game story and video
Scored 11 points on 4-8 shooting, including 3-5 from 3-point range, dished out four assists and grabbed three rebounds in just under 16 minutes in a 106-100 loss
Game 3 • 93-87, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Totaled four points and four assists in nearly 14 minutes of action as Dallas won on the road, 93-87
Game 4 • 112-105 OT, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Registered seven points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal in more than 16 minutes, as Dallas stormed back from a 15-point deficit to win in overtime
Game 5 • 100-96, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Poured in 14 points, handed out five assists and grabbed four rebounds in 22 minutes in the Mavs' series-clinching 100-96 come-from-behind victory

Conference semifinals vs. No. 2 L.A. Lakers • Dallas won the series, 4-0
Game 1 • 96-94, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Registered eight points, five assists and two rebounds in more than 14 minutes in the Mavs' 96-94 win; his points scored per minutes played was third-best on the team
Game 2 • 93-81, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Was a huge catalyst in the Mavs' 93-81 win, scoring 12 points and handing out four assists in 17 minutes of play; his points scored per minutes played was second-best on the team
Game 3 • 98-92, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Played more than 13 minutes, scoring four points and dishing out five assists, in Dallas' 98-92 win
Game 4 • 122-86, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Exploded for 22 points and eight assists in nearly 27 minutes in the Mavs' series-clinching 122-86 win; led the team in assists and was second in scoring

First round vs. No. 6 Portland • Dallas won the series, 4-2
Game 1 • 89-81, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Totaled 4 points and 1 assist in more than 19 minutes of action in Dallas' 89-81 win over Portland
Game 2 • 101-89, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Scored 6 points and handed out 4 assists in more than 16 minutes in the Mavs' 101-89 win
Game 3 • 97-92, Portland • Box score, game story and video
Tallied six points and two assists in 21 minutes in a 97-92 loss
Game 4 • 84-82, Portland • Box score, game story and video
Totaled four points, three assists and two rebounds in 19 minutes in the Mavs' 84-82 loss
Game 5 • 93-82, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Turned in four points, two rebounds, an assist and a steal in 15 minutes of action in Dallas' 93-82 victory
Game 6 • 103-96, Dallas • Box score, game story and video
Scored seven points, dished out four assists and grabbed 4 rebounds in 15 minutes in the Mavs' series-clinching 103-96 win

Watch
Barea's Journey (ESPN Video, May 29, 2011)

Read more
Draft surprises, both good and bad (ESPN.com, June 23, 2011)
Barea could be key to the Mavericks' title hopes (Reuters, June 12, 2011)
J.J. Barea and Brian Cardinal: Unassuming Stars of the NBA Finals (Time, June 11, 2011)
Gigantic spark by Mavericks' J.J. Barea (Miami Herald, June 10, 2011)
J.J. Barea is biggest little man in Finals (ESPN.com, June 10, 2011)
The Mavericks' Mini Cooper (Wall Street Journal, June 8, 2011)
Looks aren't everything (ESPN.com, May 31, 2011)
J.J. Barea enjoying pseudo-homecoming (ESPN.com, May 31, 2011)
Martin, Barea's College Coach, Remembers Recruiting the Mavs' Guard (Fox News Latino, May 21, 2011)
Diminutive guard living charmed life on and off the court (NBA.com, May 14, 2011)
J.J. Barea's NBA star turn has alma mater smiling (Metro, May 10, 2011)
NU's Barea leads Dallas to NBA conference finals (GoNU.com, May 9, 2011)
Huskies making their mark on pro basketball playoffs (GoNU.com, April 21, 2011)
Barea's NBA profile (NBA.com)