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. #1
    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

  2. #2
    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

  3. #3
    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

  4. #4
    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

  5. #5
    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

  6. #6
    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

  7. #7
    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

  8. #8
    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

  9. #9
    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

  10. #10
    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

  11. #11
    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

  12. #12
    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

  13. #13
    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

  14. #14
    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

  15. #15
    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.

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