For a home team to lose Game 1 in a series is huge (see: Cavaliers v. Pacers 2018). It makes winning the series difficult. If they lose Game 2, it can make it almost impossible. That's what the Cavaliers hope to do Thursday night in Toronto before sending the series home to Cleveland on Saturday.
What the Cavs were able to do Tuesday night was something only one playoff team in the last two decades was able to do, and that is win a playoff game that they never once led in during regulation. As a result, it was also a first for LeBron James.
Statistics have shown among different sports in a 7-game series the team with the home advantage has about six percent edge over the away team 53-47. Put the pendulum swings to the away team if they take Game 1 on the road with a 66 percent chance of taking the series and a better than 80 percent if they win Game 2 on the road.
According to ESPN's Stats & Information, Game 1 was a game that was destined to end someones ill fortunes pointing out that LeBron James went into it with a record of 2-11 in Game 1 on the road while the Raptors Kyle Lowry was 1-7 in-game ones overall with Toronto having the only win coming in the last series against Washington.
