Worth the replay?

Sunday, April 12'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
CanucksatDucks
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
B+
73/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback13/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Overtime+8
Drama 98 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73
#2
SenatorsatDevils
NHL· ESPN+OvertimeDown to the wire
B+
69/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback7/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Overtime+8
Drama 92 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 69
#3
MagicatCeltics
NBA· ESPNDown to the wire
B
62/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings22/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 62
#4
BruinsatBlue Jackets
NHL· NHL Net
C+
50/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension24/30
Swings17/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late8/15
Back-and-forth7/10
Drama 66 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 50
#5
NuggetsatSpurs
NBA· ESPN
D
29/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension9/30
Swings15/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late2/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 39 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 29
#6
WarriorsatClippers
NBABack and forth
D
28/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension7/30
Swings16/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 37 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 28
#7
PelicansatTimberwolves
NBA
D
23/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension19/30
Swings11/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 30 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 23
#8
SunsatThunder
NBA
D
22/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings15/25
Comeback11/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 29 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 22
#9
PenguinsatCapitals
NHL· TNT/HBO Max/truTV
D
20/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension19/30
Swings8/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late1/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 20
#10
Bucksat76ers
NBABack and forthOne-sided
D
18/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings14/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth10/10
Drama 24 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 18
#11
HornetsatKnicks
NBAOne-sided
D
12/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension2/30
Swings11/25
Comeback3/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12
#12
HawksatHeat
NBAOne-sided
D
12/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings14/25
Comeback1/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12
#13
CanadiensatIslanders
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
12/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings10/25
Comeback1/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 12
#14
MammothatFlames
NHL· ESPN+One-sided
D
11/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30
Swings11/25
Comeback4/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 11
#15
WizardsatCavaliers
NBAOne-sided
D
10/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension9/30
Swings4/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 13 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10
#16
KingsatTrail Blazers
NBAOne-sided
D
9/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension4/30
Swings3/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth5/10
Drama 12 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 9
#17
BullsatMavericks
NBAOne-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
#18
NetsatRaptors
NBAOne-sided
D
4/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings2/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 4
#19
GrizzliesatRockets
NBAOne-sided
D
3/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings2/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3
#20
PistonsatPacers
NBAOne-sided
D
3/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension4/30
Swings0/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 4 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 3
#21
JazzatLakers
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.