Worth the replay?

Wednesday, January 14'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 →

#1
NetsatPelicans
NBADown to the wire
B+
67/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback14/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 90 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 67
#2
JazzatBulls
NBADown to the wireBack and forth
B
56/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings18/25
Comeback1/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 75 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 56
#3
RaptorsatPacers
NBA
C
39/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension28/30
Swings13/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late10/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 52 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 39
#4
KnicksatKings
NBABig comeback
D
24/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings16/25
Comeback14/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 32 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 24
#5
NuggetsatMavericks
NBA· ESPN
D
21/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings16/25
Comeback7/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 28 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 21
#6
WizardsatClippers
NBAOne-sided
D
15/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings13/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 20 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 15
#7
Cavaliersat76ers
NBA· ESPNOne-sided
D
9/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings12/25
Comeback1/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 13 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 9

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.