CLEVELAND — Slapped with his sixth personal foul and disqualified, Dwight Howard took a seat on Orlando's bench with just 25 seconds left.

His night was over. Superman had been stripped of his powers. The outcome of a Game 1 drenched in Game 7 intensity would be decided without him.

Looking up, Howard spotted the hero: Rashard Lewis.

"He gave me three winks," Howard said. "He was signaling he was going to hit a big 3. And he did."

Lewis made a 3-pointer with 14.7 seconds left and the keep-shooting-til-they-go-in Magic, who trailed by 15 points at halftime, withstood a 49-point performance by LeBron James to stun the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-106 in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday night.

Three days after eliminating the defending champion Boston Celtics, the Magic put a spell on the previously unchallenged and top-seeded Cavaliers. Cleveland had cruised through the first two playoff rounds, winning its first eight games by double digits.

It was all so easy. Not anymore.

The Cavs lost their winning streak and their air of invincibility.

"It definitely hurts," said James, who had to be assisted on the floor following the game because of leg cramps. "But a series is not won or lost in one game."

Howard, who damaged the 24-second shot clock with a Shaq-like dunk in the first quarter, scored 30 points and Lewis added 22, including 12 in the fourth quarter on 5-of-5 shooting. Hedo Turkoglu scored 15 points with 14 assists for Orlando, which can take a 2-0 lead with a win in Game 2 on Friday night.

James added eight assists, six rebounds and three blocks, but the league's MVP got little help from his supporting cast. Mo Williams, pestered by Orlando's 6-foot-5 Courtney Lee, scored 17 on just 6-of-19 shooting and didn't help James during crucial stretches in the second half.

"I have to take pressure off that guy," Williams said.

Despite his tough night, Williams had a chance to be a hero in the final second but he missed a leaning, catch-and-shoot 17-footer after James won a jump-ball tap against Turkoglu.

"I'm not an optimistic guy and when Mo Williams caught it and shot it off of one foot, I was sure it was going in," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said.