Worth the replay?

1. #1

   Trail BlazersatNuggets

   NBAOvertimeDown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   73/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback20/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73

2. #2

   KnicksatHawks

   NBA· Peacock/NBCSNDown to the wireBack and forth

   B+

   67/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback13/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 89 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 67

3. #3

   PistonsatMagic

   NBA

   C+

   51/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension27/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback10/20

   Decided late10/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 68 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 51

4. #4

   CavaliersatGrizzlies

   NBA

   D

   26/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension4/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback10/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 35 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 26

5. #5

   76ersatSpurs

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   13/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension5/30

   Swings10/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 13

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.