Bogut’s leg broken in Cavaliers’ loss

LeBron James didn’t need to speak with Andrew Bogut or see the X-rays on the center’s leg.

“I heard it break,” James said. “I heard it crack.”

In an ugly instant, Cleveland lost much more than a game Monday night.

Bogut broke his left leg less than one minute into his debut and the host Cavaliers did not recover, falling 106-98 to Miami, which beat the NBA champions twice in three nights.

“It’s very deflating,” James said. “It’s a tough moment. We all were excited about the acquisition, you know, bring him in here. It’s a tough one ... obviously for him, first of all, but then for our ballclub.”

The 2005 No. 1 overall pick who spent the previous four seasons with the Warriors, Bogut was on the court for just 58 seconds before going down with the injury.

Bogut was on the perimeter, guarding Miami’s Okaro White, whose knee connected with the center’s lower leg. Bogut crumpled to the floor in obvious pain, and as he sat up near the scorer’s table, TV cameras caught him telling his teammates his leg was broken.

“As soon as the collision happened, I heard it break,” James said. “I went over to him and I knew it.”

Bogut was unable to put any weight on his leg as he was helped to the locker room by teammates Tristan Thompson and James Jones. The Cavs said initial X-rays revealed a fractured tibia, and Bogut was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for further tests.

Dion Waiters scored 29 points and the Heat held off the Cavs, who trimmed a 20-point deficit to 103-98 in the final minute. It could have gotten tighter but James missed a long three-point try before Waiters banked one home with 12.2 seconds left.

Kyrie Irving scored 32 and James had 30 points and 17 rebounds for Cleveland, which was beaten by 22 on Saturday in Miami while James and Irving rested.