Worth the replay?

Friday, February 20'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
Saint Peter'satIona
CBB· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth
B+
70/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback7/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Overtime+8
Drama 93 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 70
#2
Green BayatOakland
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
B+
68/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback14/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68
#3
SienaatMerrimack
CBB· ESPNUOvertimeDown to the wire
B+
68/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback7/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Overtime+8
Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68
#4
MilwaukeeatDetroit Mercy
CBB· ESPN+Back and forth
B+
66/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late14/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 88 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66
#5
PacersatWizards
NBABig comeback
B
60/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings18/25
Comeback18/20
Decided late11/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 80 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 60
#6
ClippersatLakers
NBA· ESPNDown to the wire
B
56/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings18/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 56
#7
CanisiusatRider
CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
C+
48/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings19/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late9/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 64 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 48
#8
CavaliersatHornets
NBADown to the wire
C+
48/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings18/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late8/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 64 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 48
#9
MavericksatTimberwolves
NBA· ESPNDown to the wire
C
43/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings13/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late11/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 57 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 43
#10
PrincetonatBrown
CBB· ESPN+
D
32/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension19/30
Swings18/25
Comeback1/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 43 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 32
#11
BucksatPelicans
NBA
D
32/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension8/30
Swings17/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late2/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 42 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 32
#12
VCUatSaint Louis
CBB· ESPN2
D
31/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension6/30
Swings22/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 42 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 31
#13
JazzatGrizzlies
NBA
D
30/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings21/25
Comeback12/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 40 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 30
#14
Sacred HeartatFairfield
CBB· ESPN+
D
27/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension3/30
Swings21/25
Comeback8/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 36 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 27
#15
HeatatHawks
NBAOne-sided
D
15/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension3/30
Swings15/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 20 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 15
#16
NuggetsatTrail Blazers
NBAOne-sided
D
14/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings11/25
Comeback5/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 19 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 14
#17
MaristatManhattan
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
14/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings13/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 19 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 14
#18
AkronatBall State
CBB· CBSSNOne-sided
D
11/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings7/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 11
#19
NiagaraatMount St Marys
CBB· ESPN+One-sided
D
9/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 12 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 9
#20
NetsatThunder
NBAOne-sided
D
6/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings6/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 9 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6
#21
Bowling GreenatMiami OH
CBB· CBSSNOne-sided
D
4/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings4/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4
#22
IndianaatPurdue
CBB· FoxOne-sided
D
2/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings3/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
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.