Worth the replay?

1. #1

   GrizzliesatMagic

   NBA· Prime VideoDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   72/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback17/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 72

2. #2

   SunsatPistons

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   69/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 92 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69

3. #3

   CelticsatHeat

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B

   63/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback19/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 85 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 63

4. #4

   HawksatTrail Blazers

   NBA

   C

   38/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension11/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

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

5. #5

   KnicksatWarriors

   NBA· Prime Video

   D

   31/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension5/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 41 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 31

6. #6

   HornetsatLakers

   NBABig comeback

   D

   29/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension3/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

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

7. #7

   ThunderatRockets

   NBA· Prime Video

   D

   22/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension9/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 30 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 22

8. #8

   BucksatSpurs

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   13/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 18 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13

9. #9

   JazzatMavericks

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   6/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings5/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 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.