Mitchell’s 37 points power Cavaliers

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers rallied for a 118-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, who saw All-Star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo leave Monday night’s game due to injury.

Antetokounmpo immediately went to the locker room with 3:03 remaining in the second quarter and did not return due to a left groin strain. The 14-year veteran came into the game tied for second in the league and leading the Eastern Conference in scoring at 32.6 points per game.

Coach Doc Rivers said there would further testing for Antetokounmpo on Tuesday.

Antetokounmpo was listed as probable on the injury report due to left knee patellar tendinopathy, but finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists in 13 minutes.

Mitchell, second in the Eastern Conference in scoring at 30.4 points per game, had 25 points in the first half. It is the fifth time this season he has had at least 35 points in a game.

Sam Merrill added 20 points, including six 3-pointers, for the Cavaliers, who have won three of their last four. Merrill had 11 points in the final 12 minutes as Cleveland took control.

The Bucks, who have dropped three of four, had seven players in double figures. Ryan Rollins led the way with 22 points and Myles Turner added 15.

The game was tied at 88 before Cleveland took control with a 12-3 run late in the third and early in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers’ largest lead was 14 points late in the game.

Cleveland has won seven straight over Milwaukee and is 19-4 against Central Division foes since March 2024.

Virginia Tech hires Franklin

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — James Franklin was hired as Virginia Tech’s coach on Monday, a little more than a month after he was fired during his 12th season at Penn State.

The Hokies became the first Power 4 football program to fill a coaching vacancy this season. Franklin was set to be formally introduced at a news conference Wednesday morning.

He was fired by the Nittany Lions on Oct. 12, a day after they lost at home to Northwestern to fall to 3-3.

The 53-year-old Franklin went 104-45 at Penn State, winning a Big Ten championship (in the 2016 season), a Fiesta Bowl (2017) and a Rose Bowl (2022). Last season, he led the Nittany Lions to a first-round victory in the College Football Playoff.

“I’m honored and humbled to join the Hokie family,” Franklin said in a statement. “My vision is simple: to restore unmatched excellence, to build something that lasts, and to serve this university, the Commonwealth of Virginia and our amazing fan base with honor, integrity, and passion. I look forward to getting to work with our players, our staff, and the entire Virginia Tech community.”

Terms of Franklin’s contract were not released. Before he was hired by Virginia Tech, Penn State had been on the hook for a buyout worth nearly $50 million. But Franklin and the Nittany Lions negotiated a settlement under which he’ll be paid $9 million instead, according to multiple reports.