Cavaliers are eager to play

CLEVELAND â€”  Finally, a foil.

Frankly, this shadow boxing -- or maybe it should be called shadow basketball -- was getting rather dreary for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who last played a game of real meaning on May 11.

Only it’s not the defending champion Boston Celtics showing up on Wednesday night for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals; the guest will be the Orlando Magic, which beat the Celtics in Game 7 on Sunday. Time for the sabbatical-happy Cavaliers to put their shirts on and get back to work; well, at least get back to work.

“We’re very anxious,� Cavaliers forward Joe Smith said on Monday after practice. “It got this way between Round 1 and Round 2 when we were tired of beating up on each other. We’re ready for some new action. It almost makes you miss basketball a little bit.�

Men at work also meant men watching film, including a viewing of that fateful 29-point drubbing on April 3 at the hands of the Magic. Orlando also won the season series, 2-1.

“We watched clips today from all three games,� said Cleveland Coach Mike Brown. “They really hammered us in transition. I think they outscored us in the three games, like 58-22, in transition. They didn’t just do it in the third game. They did it in the first two. We have to do a better job in that area.�

For all of Cleveland’s ease in the playoffs -- its closest game was an 11-point victory in Game 2 versus Detroit in the first round -- the Cavaliers were answering questions about some people picking the Magic to win the series. Most likely because one of their biggest doubters holds the largest media pulpit: TNT’s Charles Barkley.

“I think the best answer to that is winning,� said center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who earlier said he wouldn’t be surprised if this series lasted seven games.

Said the Cavaliers’ LeBron James: “Everybody has an opinion. That’s OK. You’ve just got to go out and play. We don’t care if people pick Orlando to beat the Cavs.�

James was a bit more expansive when he was asked about Magic superstar and Olympic teammate Dwight Howard, who called out Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy after the Game 5 loss. Attempted leadership or frustration?

“It was a little bit of both,� James said. “He’s the leader of the team and has the right to call out some things that were wrong. I didn’t see it as bad. But there’s always ways to handle a situation like that. But he didn’t do it the right way, maybe. But they still won the series. And they learned from that situation.�

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