Worth the replay?

1. #1

   Celticsat76ers

   NBA· NBA TVOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   A

   75/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings23/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

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

2. #2

   BucksatPacers

   NBAOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   A

   75/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

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

3. #3

   JazzatSuns

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   68/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings21/25

   Comeback17/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 90 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 68

4. #4

   RaptorsatPistons

   NBADown to the wire

   B

   60/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback8/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

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

5. #5

   App StateatCoastal

   CFB· ESPN2

   C+

   50/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension23/30

   Swings24/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late5/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 71 × pre-game weight 0.71 (pre-game Watchability 42) = 50

6. #6

   WizardsatPelicans

   NBA

   C+

   48/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback4/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 65 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 48

7. #7

   MemphisatTulane

   CFB· ESPNBig comeback

   C+

   47/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension16/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback14/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 54 × pre-game weight 0.88 (pre-game Watchability 75) = 47

8. #8

   BruinsatDucks

   NHL· ESPN+

   C+

   46/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension20/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late4/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 60 × pre-game weight 0.78 (pre-game Watchability 56) = 46

9. #9

   HeatatMagic

   NBABack and forth

   C

   38/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension11/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 51 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 38

10. #10

    HornetsatGrizzlies

    NBA

    C

    38/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension16/30

    Swings18/25

    Comeback11/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 50 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 38

11. #11

    WashingtonatPurdue

    CFB· Fox

    D

    33/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension8/30

    Swings14/25

    Comeback6/20

    Decided late1/15

    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 37 × pre-game weight 0.91 (pre-game Watchability 82) = 33

12. #12

    Trail BlazersatWarriors

    NBA

    D

    29/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension8/30

    Swings15/25

    Comeback10/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 38 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 29

13. #13

    NuggetsatLakers

    NBA· ESPN

    D

    27/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension18/30

    Swings15/25

    Comeback2/20

    Decided late1/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 36 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 27

14. #14

    PenguinsatAvalanche

    NHL· ESPN+

    D

    22/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension4/30

    Swings17/25

    Comeback7/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 31 × pre-game weight 0.73 (pre-game Watchability 45) = 22

15. #15

    TimberwolvesatBulls

    NBA

    D

    21/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension2/30

    Swings14/25

    Comeback4/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 27 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 21

16. #16

    HawksatMavericks

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    14/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings12/25

    Comeback2/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 19 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 14

17. #17

    KingsatSpurs

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    10/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension5/30

    Swings7/25

    Comeback2/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 14 × pre-game weight 0.75 (pre-game Watchability 50, estimated) = 10

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.