"Donovan was built for Utah"- New York Knicks fans destroy Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs after they crash out of the playoffs

The New York Knicks eliminated Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers after a 106-95 win in Game 5 on the road. They will move on to the semifinal round of the playoffs for just the second time in 23 years.

Fans promptly trolled the fourth-seeded Cavs, who had the home-court advantage over the fifth-ranked Knicks:

"Donovan was built for Utah"

The New York Knicks opened the series with a stunning Game 1 victory at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Only a loss in the following game blemished the Knicks' total dominance over the Cleveland Cavaliers in this series.

New York grabbed the series by the scruff of its neck with back-to-back victories in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks' physical play, defense and grit were simply too much for the Cavaliers to deal with, even on their home floor.

Donovan Mitchell, who the Knicks hotly pursued in the offseason via trade, is once again eliminated in the postseason as the higher seed. The Knicks badly wanted to make the four-time All-Star a cornerstone of their franchise.

Mitchell's performance in the regular season against the Knicks was nowhere to be found in the postseason. "Spida" averaged 31.8 points, 7.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks versus New York before the playoffs. He shot 50.6% from the field, including 46.8% from behind the arc.

Donovan Mitchell labored in five games against the New York Knicks' unforgiving playoffs defense. He averaged 23.2 points, 7.2 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Mitchell's field goal percentage dropped to 43.3%, making only 28.9% of his three-pointers.

The Cavs' All-Star was outplayed in the series by Jalen Brunson. New York went after Mitchell after they signed Brunson. The team dreamed of a postseason run with the two leading Tom Thibodeau's backcourt.

Instead, the New York Knicks got only Brunson and he more than proved he was not scared of the big stage. Brunson's scoring and playmaking towed the Knicks to the second round of the playoffs for just the second time since 2013.

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Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers' young core still have a bright future

The Cleveland Cavalier's future is bright with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland leading the charge.

Despite the early exit in the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers will look to the future with confidence and excitement. They have young foundational pieces that will make them legit playoff contenders for years to come.

Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen shrunk in the playoffs after showing so much promise in the regular season. Ditto for Darius Garland who had a breathtaking Game 2 performance.

The Cavaliers have locked up the trio for at least a few more years. Mobley, Allen and Garland nearly led Cleveland to the playoffs in 2022. Only a spate of injuries late in the season torpedoed their postseason hopes.

Donovan Mitchell has only played with them for one season and yet they're back in the playoffs since 2018. The Cleveland Cavaliers are not going anywhere in the Eastern Conference. They may even become stronger after this year's disappointing elimination against the lower-seeded New York Knicks.

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