Knicks Fans Thrilled by Win vs. Donovan Mitchell, Cavs After NY's Offseason Interest

One of the top storylines of the 2022 offseason was the New York Knicks' reported interest in trading for three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. So when he was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Cleveland Cavaliers, there was no doubt he'd be in for a rude welcome to New York when the team's meet.

Such was the case during Tuesday night's matchup at Madison Square Garden, as Knicks fans reveled in a 105-103 win that saw Mitchell come up short multiple times in crucial moments. The victory ends a four-game losing streak for New York.

The 26-year-old scored 24 points but was inefficient on 9-of-24 shooting. With under a minute left in the fourth quarter, Mitchell was stopped at the rim on two separate occasions by Knicks backup center Isaiah Hartenstein, the first coming on a fast-break opportunity and the second stop coming in the final seconds on Cleveland's last possession.

Failing to acquire a superstar like Mitchell understandably still had Knicks fans feeling disappointed, so Tuesday's win was extra special.

Fans on Twitter made sure to celebrate New York's victory at Mitchell's expense:

Tuesday's win was New York's second victory over Cleveland on its home floor, and the team now leads the season series 2-1. Mitchell also struggled in his previous trip to MSG, shooting 8-of-22 on his way to 23 points.

It's likely that the New Rochelle, New York, native will continue to face a hostile environment each time he visits, and he still needs time to get used to it.

Mitchell and the Cavs (29-20) will look to get back on track when they visit the Houston Rockets (11-36) on Thursday. The Knicks (26-23) will be in action that day as well when they visit the Boston Celtics (35-14).