Worth the replay?

1. #1

   NuggetsatThunder

   NBA· Peacock/NBCSNDown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   65/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

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

2. #2

   WarriorsatJazz

   NBADown to the wire

   B

   63/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback10/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 84 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 63

3. #3

   KnicksatClippers

   NBA· Peacock/NBCSN

   D

   28/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 37 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 28

4. #4

   GrizzliesatNets

   NBA

   D

   26/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 34 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 26

5. #5

   76ersatCavaliers

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   7/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings7/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 10 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7

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.