Worth the replay?

1. #1

   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

2. #2

   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

3. #3

   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

4. #4

   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

5. #5

   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

6. #6

   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

7. #7

   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

8. #8

   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

9. #9

   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

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.