Worth the replay?

1. #1

   HeatatRockets

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   75/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback20/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

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

2. #2

   LakersatMagic

   NBA· NBA TVDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   73/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 98 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73

3. #3

   ClippersatMavericks

   NBAOvertimeDown to the wire

   B+

   72/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback11/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Overtime+8

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

4. #4

   CavaliersatPelicans

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   69/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback19/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

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

5. #5

   BucksatSuns

   NBA· NBA TVDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B+

   68/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback16/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68

6. #6

   76ersatJazz

   NBADown to the wireBack and forth

   B

   56/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback5/20

   Decided late11/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 75 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 56

7. #7

   WarriorsatHawks

   NBA

   D

   19/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 25 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 19

8. #8

   ThunderatWizards

   NBABack and forthOne-sided

   D

   11/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings4/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

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

9. #9

   GrizzliesatHornets

   NBAOne-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

10. #10

    PacersatSpurs

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    2/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings2/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 2 × 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.