Evan Mobley had been sidelined since Dec. 6 with a left knee injury.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Power forward Evan Mobley returned from left knee surgery on Monday to play for the first time since undergoing left knee surgery on Dec. 18. He finished with 10 points and nine rebounds in 21 minutes in Cleveland’s 118-108 victory that snapped a five-game win streak for the LA Clippers.

The Cavs plan to initially limit Mobley’s time until he works back into game shape. His return is expected to be quickly followed by Darius Garland coming back after missing 19 games with a broken jaw. The point guard will likely play Wednesday night.

Mobley had some strong moments and a few in which he showed rust from his layoff. In the second quarter, he grabbed a rebound, dribbled the length of the floor and knifed through the Clippers’ defense before dunking.

Mobley last played on Dec. 6 against Orlando. The 22-year-old had an arthroscopic procedure on Dec. 18, has been rehabbing since and is getting back on the court faster than expected. The Cavs initially said he could be out for up to two months.

Mobley participated in the Monday morning shootaround. He was listed as questionable on the injury report.

One of the NBA’s premier interior defenders, the 6-foot-11 Mobley was averaging 16.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.7 blocks in 21 games before getting hurt. The former USC standout was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 draft.

Mobley’s injury coincided with point guard Darius Garland breaking his jaw on Dec. 15 in Boston, and when both starters went down, it appeared the Cavs’ season might be in serious jeopardy.

However, Cleveland has gone 14-4 without Mobley and Garland, who recently had the wiring removed from his jaw and is nearing a return.

“We’ve played unselfish basketball,” forward Isaac Okoro said. “The ball is moving, everyone is touching it and everyone is playing with a ton of energy. We knew we had guys who could step up and play to their strengths. We have a resilient, never-give-up mentality.”