Vince Marriott: It's no secret at this point Jeremy Lin's got game. The previously unheralded Harvard alumnus has run circles around his opponents since taking over the starting point guard position for the New York Knicks on Feb. 6 against the Utah Jazz. He scored 89 points over his first three career starts, the most by any player since the merger between the ABA and the NBA in 1976. Not only is he a good individual performer, he wins games as well as the Knicks are 5-0 since he began to see significant playing time on Feb. 4 against the New Jersey Nets. On Tuesday, Lin and the Knicks are set for another test against the Toronto Raptors. While the Raptors haven't been anything special this year, New York can't afford many more losses, so it's a big game in its own right. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., MSG).
Jonathan Gault: This weekend marks the beginning of the fifth round of the FA Cup, the world's oldest soccer competition. The beauty of the FA Cup is in its simplicity the competition is open to pretty much any team in England, meaning that you get matchups like this season's bout between lowly Tamworth F.C. and nine-time league champion Everton. There's no seeding, which can be problematic when the Premier League's top two teams are drawn together (as happened earlier this season), but the unseeded format also creates Cinderella stories on a near-annual basis. So which FA Cup match should you keep an eye on this weekend? Liverpool versus Brighton and Hove Albion. Why, besides the fact that I'm a huge Brighton fan? Liverpool has been sliding recently, with one win in its last six league matches, while Brighton, which plays in the division below the Reds, is unbeaten in nine matches in 2012. Can you say upset? And yes, I am aware that this was a completely shameless plug. (Sunday, 11:30 a.m., Fox Soccer Channel).
Nathan Yeo: In what could be a preview of the NHL playoffs, division leaders the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers will face off on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins top the league in goals scored per game thanks to an explosive offense comprised of Milan Lucic, Patrice Bergeron and Tyler Seguin. Strong play by goaltenders Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas also make the Bruins a difficult team to score against. The Rangers, however, have one of the game's best goalies in Henrik Lundqvist. Captain Ryan Callahan has also been on a roll recently, scoring three goals in the past five games. The Bruins have struggled recently, losing three of their last five games, so this game will be a key test if the Bruins wish to repeat their championship performance. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., NESN).
