Worth the replay?
Sunday, December 21'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 →- #1RocketsatKingsNBAOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackA75/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings25/25Comeback19/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth8/10Overtime+8Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75
- #2BucksatTimberwolvesNBABig comebackB61/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings21/25Comeback15/20Decided late11/15Back-and-forth5/10Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 61
- #3BullsatHawksNBADown to the wireB58/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings16/25Comeback8/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth8/10Drama 77 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 58
- #4HeatatKnicksNBADown to the wireC+54/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings16/25Comeback8/20Decided late12/15Back-and-forth5/10Drama 72 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54
- #5RaptorsatNetsNBABack and forthC+46/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension15/30Swings25/25Comeback8/20Decided late3/15Back-and-forth10/10Drama 61 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 46
- #6SpursatWizardsNBAOne-sidedD6/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension3/30Swings3/25Comeback0/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth3/10Drama 8 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6
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.