Mobley finally gets back in the game

Cuttino Mobley worked doggedly in the gym this summer, receiving a brief reprieve to clean out debris in his shooting arm, before entering training camp in top condition for the season.

So, it was a little disappointing that a strained left calf lingering from one of his final off-season workouts stopped him on the first day of camp and kept him out of the first four exhibition games.

Mobley finally received his first game action Saturday, starting and playing 16 minutes in a 110-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center.

“I was a little scared because it was a little stiff, but you have to realize you are coming in and out,” Mobley said. “It’s a burst of speed and an anxiety thing. I felt all right, though. I appreciate the minutes.”

Mobley wanted more playing time, but Coach Mike Dunleavy and trainer Jasen Powell weren’t willing to go above the prescribed limit of about 15 minutes.

He scored four points, all from the free-throw line, and missed his three field-goal attempts.

“He looked rusty, as expected,” Dunleavy said. “He was chomping at the bit to play more, but we said the first game we’ll play you 16 minutes and then tomorrow we’ll see where we go.”

Mobley had surgery to clean out some bone chips floating in his left elbow in June, adding they were perhaps left over from his days growing up boxing and playing football in Philadelphia.

“I don’t even remember, it’s been hurting so bad for so long,” Mobley said, when asked when was the last time his arm felt sound. “I can’t even remember when it felt this good.”

He also conceded that he was a little disappointed in the team’s failed attempt to land point guard Steve Francis during the off-season.

The two grew close as members of the Houston Rockets and were traded together to the Orlando Magic. Francis ultimately ended up going back to Houston.

“I can’t dwell on it,” Mobley said. “You’ve got to work on what you do have. If I don’t have it, I can’t do anything with it.”

But he is happy with the free-agent acquisitions the team was able to land and for a second season he volunteered to come off the bench as a main scoring threat in the second unit.

“We’ve got some solid guys,” he said. “Brevin [Knight] likes to pass and that’s what we need. Ruben [Patterson] and Josh [Powell] are going to bang. It’s all about playing together.”

--

Before the game, Dunleavy said the team is about 65% to 70% of where it needs to be.

Afterward, he said, “I feel a little bit better of where we are right now.”

A win can change things quick, even if it is the preseason.

“We watched a horror film [Friday} at practice of all the missed assignments that we had,” he said of the team’s Thursday exhibition loss against the Suns.

“The problem we had in so many cases was where two guys went to one guy, which left somebody wide open. They’re going to make you pay the price big time for that type of mistake. We took some chances defensively which led to easy buckets as well.”

--

Al Thornton scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the second quarter against the Suns. Corey Maggette added 19 points and four other Clippers finished in double figures.

Knight, Mobley, Maggette, Patterson and Chris Kaman started.

Entering the game, Thornton trailed only the Seattle SuperSonics’ Kevin Durant among rookie scorers in the preseason, averaging 16.3 points a game.

--

Forward Tim Thomas missed the exhibition because of personal reasons and Sam Cassell sat out to rest. . . . The Clippers play the Lakers tonight at 7:30 in the finale of the Lakers’ shootout.

--

jonathan.abrams@latimes.com