NBA Twitter Praises Knicks for Beating Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers After Failed Trade

No Donovan Mitchell, no problem for the New York Knicks, who took down the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-81 on Sunday at Madison Square Garden to improve to 11-13 on the season.

Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle led the charge against the Cavs. Brunson finished with 23 point, two rebounds, four assists and one block, while Randle added 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the win.

Mitchell, whom the Knicks could have acquired in a trade with the Utah Jazz ahead of the season, had a rough night by his standards, finishing with 23 points, four rebounds and five assists. He shot 8 of 22 from the floor and 2 of 11 from deep.

Following New York's big win, NBA Twitter praised the team for taking down Mitchell and the Cavs, who have been one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference this season:

The Knicks could have certainly benefitted from acquiring Mitchell from the Jazz and pairing him with Brunson. However, they would have needed to give up a haul of draft picks to make a move happen, and doing so could have greatly altered the franchise's future.

Saturday's win was New York's first at home since Nov. 11 against the Detroit Pistons. The Knicks will try to build on the victory Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks.