Worth the replay?

1. #1

   PelicansatThunder

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B

   65/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback20/20

   Decided late12/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 86 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65

2. #2

   NuggetsatJazz

   NBA

   D

   24/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension6/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 32 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 24

3. #3

   NetsatHornets

   NBA· NBA TV

   D

   20/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback5/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 20

4. #4

   LakersatWarriors

   NBA· NBA TVOne-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

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.