Kleiza back in action

Linas Kleiza made his long-awaited return in the Toronto Raptors 98-91 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.

Raptors coach Dwane Casey confirmed before the game that he was available to play but that he would likely see limited action.

"We are going to try and ease him back in. We need his scoring but we can’t put that kind of pressure on him," Casey said.

Kleiza made an immediate impact scoring from the free-throw line less than 15 seconds after entering the game. He played just over 14 minutes and finished the game with 10 points and three rebounds.

The Lithuanian forward has not played since undergoing microfracture surgery on his knee last February.

Kleiza met with the physician who performed the surgery in Denver on Tuesday and was given clearance to return to active duty.

He has been practising with the team for a couple of weeks now but has not participated in full contract drills.

Kleiza averaged 11.2 points per game and 4.5 rebounds before the injury ended his season early.