Worth the replay?

1. #1

   ThunderatTimberwolves

   NBA· Prime VideoDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   71/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback16/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 95 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 71

2. #2

   BullsatCavaliers

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   69/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late13/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

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

3. #3

   76ersatKnicks

   NBA· Prime VideoBack and forth

   B

   60/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback11/20

   Decided late13/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 80 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 60

4. #4

   HeatatCeltics

   NBABack and forth

   D

   29/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension2/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 39 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 29

5. #5

   SpursatHawks

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   12/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12

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.