Worth the replay?
Wednesday, October 7'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 →▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings25/25Comeback14/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth10/10Drama 94 × pre-game weight 0.81 (pre-game Watchability 62) = 76
- #2BucksatThunderNBADown to the wireBig comebackB+71/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings25/25Comeback19/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth5/10Drama 94 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 71
- #3SunsatBullsNBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forthB+68/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings24/25Comeback16/20Decided late12/15Back-and-forth10/10Drama 91 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68
- #4AvalancheatJetsNHL· ESPN+Down to the wireB61/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings19/25Comeback10/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth7/10Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 61
- #5TimberwolvesatPacersNBA· NBA TVC+52/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension27/30Swings18/25Comeback9/20Decided late7/15Back-and-forth8/10Drama 69 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 52
- #6MagicatGrizzliesNBADown to the wireC+50/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension30/30Swings17/25Comeback2/20Decided late15/15Back-and-forth3/10Drama 66 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 50
- #7WarriorsatTrail BlazersNBA· NBA TVC+47/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension25/30Swings19/25Comeback6/20Decided late6/15Back-and-forth8/10Drama 63 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 47
- #8OilersatDucksNHL· ESPN+D24/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension0/30Swings18/25Comeback10/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth3/10Drama 33 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 24
- #9PenguinsatCapitalsNHL· TNTOne-sidedD15/100
▸ Why this grade
Late tension4/30Swings13/25Comeback0/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth3/10Drama 21 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 15
▸ Why this grade
Late tension1/30Swings11/25Comeback0/20Decided late0/15Back-and-forth0/10Drama 12 × pre-game weight 0.63 (pre-game Watchability 25) = 7
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.