NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Evan Mobley was available to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers against New York on Thursday, making it back from a strained left calf in less than two weeks when it was originally feared he could miss twice that.<\/p>\n
The Cavaliers said the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year would miss two to four weeks after he sustained a Grade 1 strain of the calf on Dec. 12. Instead, he missed only five games before providing a big Christmas boost to Cleveland.<\/p>\n
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Coach Kenny Atkinson said Mobley had progressed in recent days to playing 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 in practices, then worked out before the game, and the Cavaliers upgraded him from questionable to available to play.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne thing about Evan I\u2019ve learned, he heals pretty quick,\u201d Atkinson said before the game. \u201cLike, he\u2019s 23. Sometimes age is a factor in these things.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mobley was not in the starting lineup, joining players such as Victor Wembanyama and Zion Williamson in coming off the bench in recent games after returning from their injuries.<\/p>\n
Mobley is averaging a career-high 19.1 points per game and adding 9.3 rebounds per game. His addition is another positive for a Cavaliers team that has dealt with injuries during a 17-14 start. But Cleveland came into New York after consecutive victories and Atkinson said he could see momentum starting to build for a team that won 64 games in 2024-25.<\/p>\n
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