5 things the Cavaliers needs to do to even their series with the Celtics

The Celtics shocked the Cavaliers by blowing them out in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Here’s what the Cavs have to do to even the series.

A funny thing happened during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavaliers waltzed into TD Garden as the prohibitive favorites in the series, but they were completely dominated by the Celtics. Now it’s up to LeBron James and the rest of his Cavs teammates to regroup before a pivotal Game 2 on Tuesday night.

Not even the most optimistic Celtics fans on Earth would have predicted a 25-point drubbing to open the series. Everything went right for Brad Stevens and company. Al Horford played a nearly flawless game and Marcus Morris looked like the best defender of LeBron on the planet. It’s hard to pick anything out that didn’t go Boston’s way.

That places a ton of pressure on Tyronn Lue to correct things in a hurry. Leaving Boston 1-1 would leave the Cavaliers in great shape heading back to Cleveland. Exiting New England down 2-0 would justifiably set off a lot of panic in northeast Ohio. That’s not the sort of atmosphere Cleveland wants to feel in Quicken Loans arena for Game 3.

It might be too early to call Game 2 a must-win for the Cavaliers, but it’s not far away from that level of importance. If LeBron and company are going to get back on track, they’re going to have to make a ton of adjustments. Here are the five things the Cavs must do if they want to even the series on Tuesday  night.