Worth the replay?

1. #1

   TimberwolvesatSuns

   NBADown 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

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

2. #2

   Trail BlazersatWarriors

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   69/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback17/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69

3. #3

   PelicansatMavericks

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   66/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

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

4. #4

   NuggetsatRockets

   NBA· Prime VideoDown to the wire

   B+

   65/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65

5. #5

   NetsatCeltics

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B

   59/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback16/20

   Decided late10/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 79 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 59

6. #6

   ThunderatJazz

   NBA

   D

   25/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 34 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25

7. #7

   HeatatBulls

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   18/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback7/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 24 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 18

8. #8

   PacersatCavaliers

   NBA· Prime VideoOne-sided

   D

   13/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension7/30

   Swings6/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 18 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13

9. #9

   WizardsatRaptors

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   2/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings0/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 3 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 2

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.