CLEVELAND — The 24-second shot clock has been fixed. The Cavaliers are next on the repairs-to-do list.
The Magic caused some extensive collateral damage with its stunning victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.
Orlando exposed Cleveland’s depth, shredded its defense, snatched home-court advantage and put the NBA’s top- seeded team in an unfamiliar position — behind in a series and desperate for a win heading into tonight’s Game 2.
“We’re looking at it as a must-win,” league MVP LeBron James said Thursday.
“It’s obvious,” Cavs guard Mo Williams said, echoing the must-win sentiment. “My grandma knows that. Yeah, it’s a must-win.”
Behind a torrent of clutch 3-pointers — the winner by Rashard Lewis with 14.7 seconds left — and Dwight Howard’s broad shoulders, the Magic muscled its way into Cleveland’s noisy arena and rallied for a stunning 107-106 victory that could have altered the perception the Cavaliers are the team to beat in the postseason.
This is no smoke-and-mirrors Magic act. Orlando is the real deal.
Howard set the tone by busting one of the shot clocks with a vicious dunk in the opening minutes, a we’re-here-to-play moment that stunned a Cleveland crowd that later shuffled out of the building wondering what went wrong after seeing the Cavaliers lose on their home floor for just the third time in 46 games.
After Thursday’s practice, Howard, standing near the same basket, was asked if he was done breaking things.
“No,” he said, flashing a smile. “Not yet.”
In Wednesday’s opener, James was bothered by leg cramps in the fourth quarter that became so severe he was forced to call time out for treatment. He blamed part of his fatigue on the long layoff since the Cavs swept Atlanta, saying it was impossible to replicate the game-day adrenaline rush during practice.
He said he was physically fine and mentally refreshed.
“I hate to lose, so I was sick after the game,” he said. “But today is a new day. I’m fine.”
Orlando now wants to nail down Game 2. The Magic won the series opener at Boston, but didn’t bring the same energy the next game and were beaten by 18.
“We can’t take this win for granted,” Lewis said. “We have to come out more hungry and humble to try and get another one.”
