Worth the replay?

1. #1

   Trail BlazersatJazz

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   71/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 94 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 71

2. #2

   TimberwolvesatBulls

   NBADown to the wireBack and forth

   B

   63/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late10/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

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

3. #3

   PelicansatMagic

   NBA

   D

   33/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension18/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback3/20

   Decided late2/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 44 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 33

4. #4

   RocketsatHawks

   NBA· ESPN2Back and forth

   D

   32/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension16/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 43 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 32

5. #5

   WizardsatPistons

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   16/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback2/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 22 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 16

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.