Spencer Hawes/Photo courtesy of Los Angeles Clippers, NBA.com

Backup post Spencer Hawes on Monday morning said he has been cleared by team doctors to play and he said he’s hopeful of getting into Monday night’s game against the visiting Utah Jazz.

Hawes sustained a bone bruise in his left knee in the Clippers’ loss at Washington on Dec. 12 and has missed the past nine games, during which the Clippers have gone 4-5.

“I hope so, yeah,” Hawes said, when asked if he would play Monday. “Everything there at this point is kind of just testing it out and seeing how it responds. Everything so far has been good. I feel it in certain things, but the big thing is there is no real threat of doing anything worse with where it’s at now.

“Now, it’s just keeping pushing it and seeing how it responds. But I’m very excited, obviously, to be able to get back out there.”

Hawes, a starter most of his eight-year career, is in his first season with the Clippers. He’s averaging 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds off the bench.