Worth the replay?

1. #1

   76ersatWizards

   NBAOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   A

   75/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback20/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75

2. #2

   KnicksatBucks

   NBA· NBC/PeacockDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   72/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback17/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 72

3. #3

   KingsatThunder

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   66/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 88 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66

4. #4

   ClippersatWarriors

   NBA· NBC/Peacock

   D

   25/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 33 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25

5. #5

   HornetsatHeat

   NBABack and forth

   D

   19/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback2/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 25 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 19

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.