Worth the replay?

Wednesday, March 18'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. #1
    PenguinsatHurricanes
    NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth
    A
    75/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings25/25
    Comeback14/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth10/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75

  2. #2
    LakersatRockets
    NBA· ESPNDown to the wireBack and forth
    B
    63/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings19/25
    Comeback10/20
    Decided late14/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

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

  3. #3
    Saint Joseph'satColorado St
    CBB· ESPNUDown to the wire
    B
    63/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings24/25
    Comeback12/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

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

  4. #4
    FlyersatDucks
    NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
    B
    60/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings21/25
    Comeback3/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth3/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 80 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 60

  5. #5
    StarsatAvalanche
    NHL· TNT/HBO MaxOvertimeDown to the wire
    B
    58/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings12/25
    Comeback8/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth3/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 77 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 58

  6. #6
    G WashingtonatUtah Valley
    CBB· ESPN+Down to the wire
    C+
    55/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings20/25
    Comeback3/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 73 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 55

  7. #7
    NuggetsatGrizzlies
    NBADown to the wire
    C+
    54/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings16/25
    Comeback10/20
    Decided late9/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 72 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54

  8. #8
    BluesatFlames
    NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
    C+
    52/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension30/30
    Swings10/25
    Comeback3/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth3/10
    Overtime+8

    Drama 69 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 52

  9. #9
    ClippersatPelicans
    NBABig comeback
    C
    44/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension14/30
    Swings20/25
    Comeback18/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 59 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 44

  10. #10
    Miami OHatSMU
    CBB· truTV
    C
    40/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension14/30
    Swings22/25
    Comeback13/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 53 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 40

  11. #11
    DevilsatRangers
    NHL· TNT/HBO Max
    C
    39/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension19/30
    Swings17/25
    Comeback5/20
    Decided late4/15
    Back-and-forth7/10

    Drama 52 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 39

  12. #12
    Prairie ViewatLehigh
    CBB· truTVBack and forth
    D
    35/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension5/30
    Swings20/25
    Comeback11/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 46 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 35

  13. #13
    Trail BlazersatPacers
    NBA
    D
    34/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension21/30
    Swings9/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late15/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 45 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 34

  14. #14
    UICatCalifornia
    CBB· ESPN2One-sided
    D
    18/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension4/30
    Swings15/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 24 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 18

  15. #15
    SenatorsatCapitals
    NHL· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    16/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension10/30
    Swings10/25
    Comeback2/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 22 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 16

  16. #16
    Murray StatNevada
    CBB· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    11/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings8/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 14 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 11

  17. #17
    DaytonatBradley
    CBB· ESPNUOne-sided
    D
    10/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings12/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 13 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10

  18. #18
    HawksatMavericks
    NBAOne-sided
    D
    8/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings9/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 11 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 8

  19. #19
    NavyatWake Forest
    CBB· ESPNUOne-sided
    D
    7/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension3/30
    Swings3/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 9 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 7

  20. #20
    JazzatTimberwolves
    NBAOne-sided
    D
    6/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings3/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 8 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 6

  21. #21
    WarriorsatCeltics
    NBA· ESPNOne-sided
    D
    4/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings5/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4

  22. #22
    RaptorsatBulls
    NBAOne-sided
    D
    4/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings5/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4

  23. #23
    Kent StateatIllinois St
    CBB· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    3/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings4/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3

  24. #24
    Sam HoustonatNew Mexico
    CBB· ESPN+One-sided
    D
    3/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension1/30
    Swings3/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 3 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3

  25. #25
    ThunderatNets
    NBAOne-sided
    D
    0/100
    ▸ Why this grade
    Late tension0/30
    Swings0/25
    Comeback0/20
    Decided late0/15
    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 0 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 0

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.

Get the weekend's best games every Friday

The most watchable games across every sport, what's at stake in the playoff races, and last week's best games, spoiler-free. Free, one email a week.

Sports you care about