Worth the replay?

Friday, December 12's games ranked by how good they turned out to be: late drama, comebacks, lead swaps and overtime. No scores, no winners, so you can decide what to watch without spoilers.

Best games of the season →

#1
JazzatGrizzlies
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
MD EasternatNC A&T
CBBDown 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
#3
CavaliersatWizards
NBADown to the wireBig comeback
B+
72/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback19/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 96 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 72
#4
ArmyatUMBC
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comeback
B+
69/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback14/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 92 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69
#5
TimberwolvesatWarriors
NBA· NBA TVDown to the wireBack and forth
B+
66/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback10/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 88 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66
#6
BullsatHornets
NBADown to the wireBig comeback
B+
66/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings18/25
Comeback17/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 88 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66
#7
Pacersat76ers
NBADown to the wireBack and forth
B
60/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings19/25
Comeback9/20
Decided late13/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 80 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 60
#8
NetsatMavericks
NBADown to the wireBack and forth
B
57/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings17/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 76 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 57
#9
ETSUatAustin Peay
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
C+
54/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings21/25
Comeback3/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 72 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54
#10
KrakenatMammoth
NHL· ESPN+Down to the wire
C+
49/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings18/25
Comeback3/20
Decided late7/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Drama 65 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 49
#11
TexasatUConn
CBB· Fox
D
31/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension24/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late8/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 41 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 31
#12
CA BaptistatE Washington
CBB· ESPN+
D
24/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension9/30
Swings14/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 31 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 24
#13
BlackhawksatBlues
NHL· ESPN+/HuluOne-sided
D
17/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension16/30
Swings6/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 22 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 17
#14
HawksatPistons
NBA· NBA TVOne-sided
D
11/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings11/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 11
#15
Missouri StatXavier
CBB· truTVOne-sided
D
8/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings6/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 11 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 8
#16
Will PeaceatUNC Greensboro
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
7/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension4/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 9 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7
#17
BrevardatGardner-Webb
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
4/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4
#18
Dkta WesleyanatS Dakota St
CBBOne-sided
D
4/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4
#19
SC StateatQueens
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
0/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 0 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 0
#20
VTSU JohnsonatStonehill
CBBOne-sided
D
0/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 0 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 0
#21
Dallas ChrstnatTexas A&M-CC
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
0/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 0 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 0
#22
East Texas A&MatMcNeese
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
0/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 0 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 0

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.