Wisconsin coach Greg Gard remains optimistic despite a subpar performance by No. 16 Wisconsin in its 71-56 loss to No. 4 North Carolina.The Badgers won two of three games in the Maui Invitational last week in Lahaina, Hawaii, but the Tar Heels setback on Nov. 24 had an impact. Wisconsin beat Tennessee and Georgetown but lost to North Carolina in the tournament title game.I think were better defensively, said Gard to the Wisconsin State Journal. I think were starting to figure out some things and starting to callous a little bit. Teams always have to go through some adversity a little bit and have some negative things happen. And I think that toughens us.A long week begins on Sunday for the Badgers (4-2), who host Prairie View A&M (2-4) at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wis. The game is the first of three games in six days for Wisconsin.The Badgers let North Carolina to shoot 60.7 percent in the second half, including 20 points in the paint, and likely need to rip a page from the Tar Heels playbook by attacking the rim more often. Wisconsin scored a season-low 56 points against North Carolina and its top three players -- senior forward Nigel Hayes, senior guard Bronson Koenig and sophomore F Ethan Happ -- shot 10-of-36 from the field.Hayes was 1-of-11 from 3-point range in the last two games of the invitational and 1-of-7 against the Tar Heels. Hes averaging 10.7 points and a team-leading 2.7 assists per game.Koenig is the teams scoring leader at 15 points while Happ contributes11.9 points and 8.8 rebounds.The game at Wisconsin is the first of a seven-game road trip for the Prairie View (Texas) A&M, which will also travel to Houston, Kansas State and Utah.Byron Smith took over as interim head coach when Byron Rimm II stepped down as head coach last season. The Panthers finished 6-6 under the direction of Smith, who had the interim tag stripped from his title in March. The team finished sixth in the 10-team Southwest Athletic Conference during the 2015-16 season.Junior F Zachary Hamilton scored a career-high 29 points, including 7-of-13 shooting from 3-point range in Prairie View A&Ms eight-point loss to Lamar two days ago. Hamilton leads the team in scoring at 13.8 points.Senior G Daquan Cook, a transfer from UNLV, averages 12.8 points.Smith said he likes the Panthers enthusiasm and effort so far this season. He brought in six junior college and transfer players who add length and are solid athletes.We recruited very, very hard and brought in bodies; guys that we could move around more and assume some of the responsibilities offensively that we lacked last year, said Smith, who was a Panthers assistant for three seasons. Swell Italia Offerte . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Swell Offered Italia . 31, the CFL club announced Monday. The team also has yet to decide on the future of Doug Berry, who began the season as a consultant to the head coach but took over the offensive co-ordinators duties in July. http://www.swellbottiglie.it/ .Y. -- Sabres forward Drew Stafford has witnessed plenty of turmoil during his eight seasons in Buffalo. Swell Bottle Italia . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Swell Bottiglia . A knee to the thigh might have stung him the most, but his sixth straight double-double made up for the brief burst of pain. CLEVELAND -- LeBron James took time to reflect as the Cleveland Cavaliers raised their championship banner.Then it was business as usual.James had his 43rd career triple-double, Kyrie Irving scored 29 points and the Cavaliers beat the New York Knicks 117-88 on Tuesday night in the NBA season opener.James scored 19 points and added 11 rebounds and 14 assists in front of a raucous home crowd that was on its feet from the pregame ceremony until late in the game, celebrating the citys first championship in 52 years.It was great to have a moment like that, he said. It was difficult to focus on the game but we did a great job, especially in the second half.James, who got choked up while speaking to the crowd before the game, continued his perfect record on ring nights. He was 2-0 when the Miami Heat players were presented with their championship rings.There were so many emotions, he said. To see us win the finals and tonight being that last exclamation point to receive your ring in front of your fans was a great moment.Irving scored 19 points in the third quarter, when Cleveland used a 20-4 run to take a 74-53 lead. Kevin Love scored 23 for the Cavaliers.Carmelo Anthony led New York with 19 points and Derrick Rose had 17.Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert was taken to the locker room late in the third quarter with concussion-like symptoms after colliding with Kristaps Porzingis. Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue said Shumpert was undergoing tests to determine the extent of the injury.Clevelands players, coaching staff and front office personnel also received their championship rings in the pregame ceremony, and the sellout crowd chanted Lues last name.That was a really good feeling, he said. It was great to be a part of it.The basketball game was only part of a big night in town. The Cleveland Indians played Game 1 of the World Series against the Chicago Cubs across the street at Progressive Field.The Knicks, who missed the playoffs the last three seasons, are expecting major improvement after acquiring Rose from Chicago to run the offense and signing center Joakim Noah, who was scoreless in 21 minutess.ddddddddddddWe will improve, I guarantee it, Anthony said. There are just so many moving parts right now. We need to get better, but were not running from that fact.New York, playing its first game under new coach Jeff Hornacek, trailed by 13 in the second quarter but rallied to cut the lead to 45-43 at halftime. A pair of dunks by James and 3-pointers from Irving and Love pushed the lead to 61-49.Clevelands spurt continued as Irving hit three 3-pointers for a 74-53 lead.Porzingis scored 16 points for New York.TIP-INSKnicks: Anthony scored 11 of New Yorks 18 first-quarter points. .... PG Brandon Jennings, signed in the offseason, scored seven points in 22 minutes.Cavaliers: F Tristan Thompson was scoreless and had six rebounds in 21 minutes. ... Rookie G Kay Felder is going through concussion protocol after being injured in practice last week.HIGH STAKESJames and Dwyane Wade, a Chicago native, finalized their bet on the World Series between the Indians and Cubs.If the Indians win the World Series, he has to wear an Indians uniform when he comes here and if the Cubs win it, I have wear a Cubs uniform when we play in the United Center, James said.James said he and most of the Cavaliers planned to attend Game 2 on Wednesday night.NOT THIS TIMEThe Knicks spoiled James return to Cleveland on opening night two years ago with a 95-90 win. Anthony was the games high scorer with 25 points. Irving led Cleveland with 22 while James scored 17.MAKING FRIENDS, SORT OFNoah, who has never been a favorite of Quicken Loans Arena fans, had a few kind words for the city Tuesday.Congratulations to Cleveland, he said. Even though its not a vacation spot you guys got a championship. Its well-deserved.UP NEXTKnicks: They host Memphis on Saturday in their home opener in what will mark Roses first game in a New York uniform at Madison Square Garden.Cavaliers: They travel to Toronto on Friday in a rematch of last seasons Eastern Conference finals, which Cleveland won in six games. ' ' '