Worth the replay?

1. #1

   WizardsatBucks

   NBADown 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

   KnicksatSpurs

   NBA· NBA TVDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   72/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

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

3. #3

   MagicatPacers

   NBADown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   67/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 90 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 67

4. #4

   NuggetsatRaptors

   NBADown to the wire

   B

   60/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

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

5. #5

   WarriorsatHornets

   NBA· NBA TVBack and forth

   C+

   48/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension18/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback8/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 64 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 48

6. #6

   PelicansatBulls

   NBA

   D

   20/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension9/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 20

7. #7

   SunsatCavaliers

   NBA· NBA TVOne-sided

   D

   11/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 11

8. #8

   TimberwolvesatHawks

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   6/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings7/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 8 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6

9. #9

   Trail BlazersatThunder

   NBAOne-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

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.