Worth the replay?

1. #1

   PelicansatHeat

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   A

   75/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback20/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 75

2. #2

   WizardsatKnicks

   NBA· NBA TVDown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   65/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback16/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 65

3. #3

   HawksatSpurs

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B

   60/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late12/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 80 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 60

4. #4

   76ersatNets

   NBA

   B

   58/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback8/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 77 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 58

5. #5

   CelticsatCavaliers

   NBA

   D

   28/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension4/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback8/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 37 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 28

6. #6

   KingsatLakers

   NBA· ESPN2

   D

   23/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension12/30

   Swings12/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 30 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 23

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.