Worth the replay?

1. #1

   TimberwolvesatRockets

   NBADown to the wire

   B+

   67/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings14/25

   Comeback9/20

   Decided late12/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 71 × pre-game weight 0.94 (pre-game Watchability 89) = 67

2. #2

   HeatatClippers

   NBAOvertimeDown to the wireBig comeback

   B+

   66/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.66 (pre-game Watchability 33) = 66

3. #3

   PacersatGrizzlies

   NBADown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B

   61/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings18/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 87 × pre-game weight 0.69 (pre-game Watchability 39) = 61

4. #4

   JazzatPelicans

   NBAOvertimeDown to the wireBig comebackBack and forth

   B

   56/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings25/25

   Comeback18/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Overtime+8

   Drama 100 × pre-game weight 0.56 (pre-game Watchability 12) = 56

5. #5

   RaptorsatNuggets

   NBABack and forth

   C+

   52/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension21/30

   Swings16/25

   Comeback7/20

   Decided late5/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 58 × pre-game weight 0.88 (pre-game Watchability 77) = 52

6. #6

   MavericksatSpurs

   NBA· ESPNDown to the wire

   C+

   49/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings17/25

   Comeback2/20

   Decided late15/15

   Back-and-forth5/10

   Drama 69 × pre-game weight 0.71 (pre-game Watchability 43) = 49

7. #7

   HornetsatNets

   NBABig comebackBack and forth

   C

   43/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension21/30

   Swings22/25

   Comeback15/20

   Decided late6/15

   Back-and-forth10/10

   Drama 74 × pre-game weight 0.58 (pre-game Watchability 16) = 43

8. #8

   76ersatPistons

   NBA· ESPN

   C

   39/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension19/30

   Swings13/25

   Comeback6/20

   Decided late0/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 40 × pre-game weight 0.98 (pre-game Watchability 95) = 39

9. #9

   BucksatCeltics

   NBADown to the wire

   D

   34/100
   ▸ Why this grade

   Late tension30/30

   Swings15/25

   Comeback0/20

   Decided late13/15

   Back-and-forth3/10

   Drama 60 × pre-game weight 0.57 (pre-game Watchability 14) = 34

10. #10

    Trail BlazersatSuns

    NBA

    D

    23/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension1/30

    Swings16/25

    Comeback4/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth8/10

    Drama 28 × pre-game weight 0.82 (pre-game Watchability 65) = 23

11. #11

    HawksatWizards

    NBA

    D

    23/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension8/30

    Swings13/25

    Comeback3/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth5/10

    Drama 29 × pre-game weight 0.78 (pre-game Watchability 56) = 23

12. #12

    CavaliersatThunder

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    15/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension6/30

    Swings10/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 15 × pre-game weight 0.95 (pre-game Watchability 90) = 15

13. #13

    LakersatKings

    NBABack and forthOne-sided

    D

    13/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension7/30

    Swings7/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth10/10

    Drama 24 × pre-game weight 0.53 (pre-game Watchability 7) = 13

14. #14

    BullsatKnicks

    NBAOne-sided

    D

    2/100
    ▸ Why this grade

    Late tension0/30

    Swings3/25

    Comeback0/20

    Decided late0/15

    Back-and-forth0/10

    Drama 3 × pre-game weight 0.57 (pre-game Watchability 15) = 2

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.