Worth the replay?

Monday, December 15'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
MavericksatJazz
NBAOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
A
75/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings21/25
Comeback19/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Overtime+8
Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75
#2
RocketsatNuggets
NBA· PeacockOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
A
75/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback17/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Overtime+8
Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75
#3
East Texas A&MatSE Louisiana
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wireBig comebackBack and forth
B+
71/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback15/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 95 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 71
#4
SenatorsatJets
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
B+
70/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings24/25
Comeback9/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Overtime+8
Drama 93 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 70
#5
PistonsatCeltics
NBA· PeacockDown to the wireBack and forth
B
62/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings15/25
Comeback14/20
Decided late14/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 62
#6
RaptorsatHeat
NBABack and forth
B
59/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension20/30
Swings19/25
Comeback14/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 78 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 59
#7
North AlabamaatAlabama A&M
CBBBig comeback
B
57/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension23/30
Swings16/25
Comeback17/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 76 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 57
#8
Incarnate WordatTCU
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
C+
54/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings20/25
Comeback5/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 72 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54
#9
McNeeseatHou Christian
CBB· ESPN+
C
42/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension22/30
Swings22/25
Comeback2/20
Decided late5/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 56 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 42
#10
KingsatStars
NHL· ESPN+
C
35/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension19/30
Swings16/25
Comeback6/20
Decided late3/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 47 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 35
#11
DucksatRangers
NHL· ESPN+
D
33/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension20/30
Swings15/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late4/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 44 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 33
#12
GrizzliesatClippers
NBA
D
30/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings23/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 40 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 30
#13
PredatorsatBlues
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
13/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13
#14
DolphinsatSteelers
NFL· ESPNOne-sided
D
10/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings9/25
Comeback1/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 13 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10
#15
PanthersatLightning
NHL· NHL NetOne-sided
D
8/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings9/25
Comeback1/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 11 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 8
#16
NiagaraatVCU
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
6/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 8 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6
#17
WoffordatGardner-Webb
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
5/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings5/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 7 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 5
#18
WyomingatS Dakota St
CBBOne-sided
D
4/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings5/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4
#19
BryanatSamford
CBB· ESPN+One-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
#20
Minn CrookatN Dakota St
CBBOne-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
#21
RhodesatStetson
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
1/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 1 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 1
#22
EcclesiaatAR-Pine Bluff
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
#23
CampbellsvilleatWestern KY
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.