Worth the replay?

1. #1

   Trail BlazersatLakers

   NBA· Peacock/NBCDown to the wire

   B+

   73/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late14/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 83 × pre-game weight 0.87 (pre-game Watchability 75) = 73

2. #2

   NetsatCeltics

   NBAOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B

   56/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback17/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.56 (pre-game Watchability 11) = 56

3. #3

   PistonsatKnicks

   NBA· NBC

   D

   32/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension1/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback11/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 32 × pre-game weight 0.99 (pre-game Watchability 99) = 32

4. #4

   KingsatSpurs

   NBAOne-sided

   D

   3/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension0/30

   Swings0/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.54 (pre-game Watchability 7) = 3

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.