Worth the replay?

1. #1

   ThunderatSuns

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   70/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback19/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 93 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 70

2. #2

   PistonsatCavaliers

   NBADown to the wire

   B

   61/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback11/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 81 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 61

3. #3

   GrizzliesatLakers

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B

   57/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late12/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 76 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 57

4. #4

   PacersatMagic

   NBADown to the wire

   B

   57/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late14/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 76 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 57

5. #5

   BucksatKings

   NBA

   D

   22/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension10/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late2/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 29 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 22

6. #6

   NuggetsatNets

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   17/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension2/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback3/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 23 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 17

7. #7

   PelicansatHeat

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   13/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings10/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13

8. #8

   TimberwolvesatWizards

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   3/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings4/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 4 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3

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.