Coach Stan Van Gundy says the All-Star point guard will return against the Utah Jazz on Monday night. Nelson will come off the bench in place of Jason Williams, pushing Anthony Johnson back into a reserve role.
Nelson has not played since he had surgery Nov. 18 to repair torn cartilage in his left knee. He practiced for the first time in about a month Sunday. He was averaging 13.7 points and 5.5 assists before getting hurt.
This won't be the first time he has returned from surgery.
Nelson injured his right shoulder in February and had it repaired. In a surprise move, he returned early for the NBA Finals but struggled as Orlando lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.
