Worth the replay?

1. #1

   ThunderatCavaliers

   NBA· NBCSNDown to the wire

   A

   80/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback11/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 82 × pre-game weight 0.97 (pre-game Watchability 94) = 80

2. #2

   SunsatWarriors

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   A

   76/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback20/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.76 (pre-game Watchability 53) = 76

3. #3

   Trail BlazersatNuggets

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   73/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings19/25

   Comeback16/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.84 (pre-game Watchability 68) = 73

4. #4

   RaptorsatClippers

   NBADown to the wireBig comeback

   B

   62/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings20/25

   Comeback19/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 89 × pre-game weight 0.69 (pre-game Watchability 39) = 62

5. #5

   PelicansatGrizzlies

   NBAOvertimeDown to the wireBack and forth

   B

   59/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.59 (pre-game Watchability 18) = 59

6. #6

   WizardsatMagic

   NBADown to the wire

   C+

   49/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback12/20

   Decided late8/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 69 × pre-game weight 0.71 (pre-game Watchability 42) = 49

7. #7

   HawksatPacers

   NBA

   C

   39/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth0/10

   Drama 58 × pre-game weight 0.68 (pre-game Watchability 36) = 39

8. #8

   KingsatMavericks

   NBABig comeback

   D

   29/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension17/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth8/10

   Drama 56 × pre-game weight 0.51 (pre-game Watchability 2) = 29

9. #9

   NetsatKnicks

   NBABack and forth

   D

   19/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension6/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback1/20

   Decided late1/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 35 × pre-game weight 0.55 (pre-game Watchability 11) = 19

10. #10

    PistonsatHornets

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    18/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings16/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 23 × pre-game weight 0.80 (pre-game Watchability 60) = 18

11. #11

    CelticsatRockets

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    16/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension1/30

    Swings13/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 16 × pre-game weight 0.96 (pre-game Watchability 91) = 16

12. #12

    BucksatTimberwolves

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    12/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension3/30

    Swings11/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 20 × pre-game weight 0.61 (pre-game Watchability 21) = 12

13. #13

    HeatatLakers

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    12/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings12/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 13 × pre-game weight 0.90 (pre-game Watchability 80) = 12

14. #14

    Bullsat76ers

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    10/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension7/30

    Swings8/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth3/10

    Drama 17 × pre-game weight 0.60 (pre-game Watchability 19) = 10

15. #15

    JazzatSpurs

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    3/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings5/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 5 × pre-game weight 0.64 (pre-game Watchability 28) = 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.