Ryan Rapoport

Wednesday night, the Philadelphia Phillies host the Washington Nationals, in the series finale of what is becoming a budding NL East rivalry.

Contentiousness began a few weeks ago, when Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels hit Nationals rookie Bryce Harper intentionally.

“I was trying to hit him. I’m not going to deny it,” admitted Hamels to reporters after the game.

Hamels later added, “Welcome to the big leagues.”

Monday night, the New Jersey Devils host the New York Rangers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, with the favored Rangers leading the series 2-1.

This is the sixth time that the New York area’s “Hudson River Rivalry” has been played in the NHL’s postseason.

The Rangers have won four of the previous five meetings.

The last time New York and New Jersey played in the Eastern Conference Finals was in 1994, when hockey legend Mark Messier made the famous “guarantee,” with his Rangers team trailing in the series 3-2.

Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 2 of their Western Conference Semifinals series. The Thunder are looking to go up 2-0, after their resounding 119-90 victory in Game 1.

For the Lakers, this is almost certainly a must-win game, as the legendary franchise is only 2-17 all-time, when losing the first two games of a playoff series.

The last time the Lakers came back from an 0-2 playoff deficit was in 2004, when they defeated the San Antonio Spurs in six games.

The heavily favored Miami Heat currently hold a 3-0 series lead over the New York Knicks, in their first round NBA playoff matchup, with Game 4 scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden.

The biggest story of the series took place after Game 2, when a distraught Amar'e Stoudemire decided to punch through fire extinguisher glass, resulting in a large laceration on the palm of his left hand.

The New York big man is listed as doubtful for Sunday’s potentially series ending contest, after already having to sit out Game 3.