CLEVELAND – The Cleveland Cavaliers were perfectly happy letting Superman fly all over the court during the first half of their Eastern Conference finals opener against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.
The Cavs were content to let Dwight Howard get his points, rebounds and blocked shots, just as long as Howard`s supporting cast was kept at bay.
The defensive game plan was flawless during the first half. It was better than kryptonite. While Howard racked up 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting and pulled down a team-high six rebounds, the Cavs still managed to lead by 15 points at the half.
But Howard took off his cape during halftime and let his teammates take turns playing the superhero.
Point guard Rafer Alston snapped in a 20-footer to cut the lead to single digits. Courtney Lee stole a LeBron James pass and beat the league MVP down the court for a highlight dunk. Forwards Rashard Lewis and Mickael Pietrus found their range and started knocking down threes that must have felt like uppercuts to the chins of the Cavs players and their fans.
The Magic whittled Cleveland`s lead during the third quarter, took the lead in the fourth and found a way to stop a fantastic Cavs finish to come away with a 107-106 victory.
It was a stunning turn of events for the Quicken Loans Arena crowd, which has only witnessed a live loss twice this season, and one was with stars James, Mo Williams and Zydrunas Ilgauskas in street clothes on the bench.
The odds favored a Cavaliers victory, and a decided one at that.
The Cavs were playing at home with a 43-2 record at The Q coming into Game 1.
The Cavs had nine days rest after wrapping up their semifinal series win over Atlanta with an easy sweep, while the Magic had battled through a seven-game series with the defending champion Boston Celtics.
The Cavs had the postseason experience edge, playing in more games over the last four years and making an NBA Finals appearance in 2007, while the Magic reached the conference finals for the first time since 1996.
The Cavs, who had won every postseason game by double digits, were favored to win by nine points – some considered it a modest figure – and most pundits were picking Cleveland to breeze to a series win in five or six games.
But something went horribly wrong for Cleveland during the second half Wednesday, and now Orlando will have home-court advantage no matter the outcome of Game 2 on Friday.
The Cavaliers will be forced to answer questions about their defensive breakdown, their lack of bench help – Joe Smith`s five points were the only ones not scored by the starting lineup – and why the offense down the stretch resembled the old Cavs teams in failed playoff runs past.
James spent many of the final possessions dribbling away the shot clock at the top of the key, before trying to drive through four or five Orlando defenders or passing it out to a teammate who promptly sent the shot off the back of the rim.
Even with all those issues, the Cavaliers were still in the game at the end. They should still be the favorite to win the series. They should be able to find a way to bounce back.
It may be as simple as the Cavs pulling out their masks and utility belts, and putting on a superhero show of their own.
Contact Shaun Bennett at 329-7137 or sbennett@chroniclet.com.

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