Worth the replay?

Friday, May 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
CavaliersatRaptors
NBA· Prime VideoOvertimeDown to the wireBig comeback
B+
73/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings23/25
Comeback14/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Overtime+8
Drama 97 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 73
#2
PistonsatMagic
NBA· Prime VideoBig comeback
B+
68/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings25/25
Comeback19/20
Decided late10/15
Back-and-forth8/10
Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68
#3
LightningatCanadiens
NHL· ESPN2OvertimeDown to the wire
C+
46/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30
Swings8/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late15/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Overtime+8
Drama 61 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 46
#4
LakersatRockets
NBA· Prime Video
D
20/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30
Swings15/25
Comeback10/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth3/10
Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 20
#5
Golden KnightsatMammoth
NHL· ESPNOne-sided
D
11/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension5/30
Swings9/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late2/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 11
#6
SabresatBruins
NHL· ESPNOne-sided
D
9/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension4/30
Swings8/25
Comeback0/20
Decided late0/15
Back-and-forth0/10
Drama 12 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 9

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.