Worth the replay?

1. #1

   ThunderatGrizzlies

   NBA· NBA TVDown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   73/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback20/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73

2. #2

   RocketsatTrail Blazers

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   67/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback19/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 89 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 67

3. #3

   BucksatLakers

   NBA· NBA TVDown to the wire

   B+

   65/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65

4. #4

   KnicksatSuns

   NBADown to the wire

   B

   58/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 78 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 58

5. #5

   76ersatMagic

   NBABack and forth

   D

   29/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension5/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback10/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

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

6. #6

   HawksatNuggets

   NBA

   D

   29/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension3/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback8/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 38 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 29

7. #7

   RaptorsatCeltics

   NBA

   D

   25/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension16/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 33 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 25

8. #8

   PelicansatWizards

   NBA

   D

   20/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension7/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

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

9. #9

   KingsatWarriors

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   14/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings10/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 18 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 14

10. #10

    ClippersatNets

    NBAOne-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

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.