Worth the replay?

Wednesday, April 1'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
KingsatRaptors
NBADown to the wireBig comeback
B+
70/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings21/25
Comeback20/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 94 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 70
#2
OklahomaatColorado
CBB· FS1OvertimeDown to the wire
B+
69/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback9/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Overtime+8
Drama 92 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69
#3
DucksatSharks
NHL· TNT/truTV/HBO MaxDown to the wireBack and forth
B+
66/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback10/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 88 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 66
#4
CanucksatAvalanche
NHL· ESPN+Down to the wire
B
62/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback12/20
Decided late10/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Drama 83 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 62
#5
BluesatKings
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
C+
54/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings16/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Overtime+8
Drama 72 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 54
#6
BucksatRockets
NBAOne-sided
D
18/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension17/30
Swings7/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 24 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 18
#7
PacersatBulls
NBAOne-sided
D
17/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings15/25
Comeback8/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 22 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 17
#8
HawksatMagic
NBAOne-sided
D
16/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings14/25
Comeback5/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 22 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 16
#9
BayloratMinnesota
CBB· FS1One-sided
D
15/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings16/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 20 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 15
#10
76ersatWizards
NBAOne-sided
D
12/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings11/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12
#11
KnicksatGrizzlies
NBAOne-sided
D
10/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension7/30
Swings7/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 14 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10
#12
CelticsatHeat
NBA· ESPNOne-sided
D
5/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings7/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 7 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 5
#13
NuggetsatJazz
NBAOne-sided
D
3/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension3/30
Swings2/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3
#14
SpursatWarriors
NBA· ESPNOne-sided
D
3/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings3/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 4 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3

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.