Worth the replay?

1. #1

   CavaliersatHawks

   NBA· NBA TVDown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   74/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.90 (pre-game Watchability 80) = 74

2. #2

   GrizzliesatTrail Blazers

   NBABig comeback

   D

   27/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension4/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 42 × pre-game weight 0.64 (pre-game Watchability 28) = 27

3. #3

   KingsatPelicans

   NBA

   D

   16/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension8/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 32 × pre-game weight 0.50 (pre-game Watchability 1) = 16

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.