Worth the replay?

1. #1

   HawksatRockets

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   67/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 90 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 67

2. #2

   BucksatHeat

   NBADown to the wireBack and forth

   B

   63/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late12/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 84 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 63

3. #3

   NuggetsatRaptors

   NBADown to the wire

   B

   55/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback7/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 55

4. #4

   PistonsatGrizzlies

   NBABig comeback

   C

   38/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension3/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 51 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 38

5. #5

   ThunderatMavericks

   NBA· NBA TV

   D

   27/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension15/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback5/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 35 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 27

Ranked from each game's win probability as it was played (ESPN's for football and basketball; ours, from the goals, for hockey): how in doubt it was near the end, how far the winner came back from, how late it was decided, how big its momentum swings were and how often a team erased a deficit, with a bonus for overtime. That drama is then weighted by how good a matchup it was going in (its pre-game Watchability score), so a thriller between top teams ranks above an equally wild game between minor ones.