Evan Mobley makes a quick return from a calf strain to rejoin the Cavaliers on Christmas

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NEW YORK (AP) — 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.

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.

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.

“One thing about Evan I’ve learned, he heals pretty quick,” Atkinson said before the game. “Like, he’s 23. Sometimes age is a factor in these things.”

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.

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.

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