Cavs’ Mitchell comes ‘full circle’ to face hometown Knicks

By TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) — The New York Knicks couldn’t land Donovan Mitchell last summer. They’re getting him now. Just not in the way they hoped. Mitchell, who in his first season with Cleveland has pushed the Cavs back into the NBA playoffs for the first time since LeBron James split in 2018, will face his hometown team in a first-round series loaded with subplots. The juiciest, of course, is Mitchell’s connection to the Knicks, who were on the verge of acquiring him in an offseason trade before the deal collapsed and the Cavs swooped in. New York All-Star forward Julius Randle could be back for Game 1 on Saturday after missing two weeks with a sprained left ankle.