Worth the replay?

1. #1

   BullsatMagic

   NBA· PeacockDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   72/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback16/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 96 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 72

2. #2

   HawksatPistons

   NBADown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   69/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 92 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69

3. #3

   BucksatWizards

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   67/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 89 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 67

4. #4

   MavericksatNuggets

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   65/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late12/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

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

5. #5

   RocketsatJazz

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B

   59/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback16/20

   Decided late13/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 78 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 59

6. #6

   HornetsatNets

   NBA

   C+

   55/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late5/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 73 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 55

7. #7

   SunsatLakers

   NBA· Peacock

   D

   27/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 36 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 27

8. #8

   ClippersatHeat

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   13/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13

9. #9

   CavaliersatPacers

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   8/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings9/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 11 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 8

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.