Low Vig

MIAMI — Chris Bosh apparently will remain a high-profile bench player for the Miami Heat.

Bosh said he expects to stay in a reserve role Saturday for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics, even though he’s been back from an abdominal strain for the past two contests.

“I think we have a good thing going right now and I’ll continue to come off the bench as long as it’s good,” Bosh said. “I’m going to have my time out there with certain lineups, and that’s not going to change my approach and how I do things.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra did not reveal his starting lineup and likely won’t make it official until about an hour before tipoff. Udonis Haslem has started at center the past two games, one of five starters Spoelstra has used at center during the postseason.

“Starting is irrelevant, totally irrelevant,” Bosh said. “I think it’ll be irrelevant for as long as we’re playing. It really doesn’t matter for me. I just want to be out there and as long as I get to play, it doesn’t matter.”

Bosh played 28 minutes off the bench Thursday in Game 6, twice the amount he played in Game 5 when he made his return after missing three weeks and nine playoff games.

The 6-foot-11 Bosh has averaged a modest 8.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the two games but has made a significant difference. After the overall rebounding was virtually even through the first four games of the series, the Heat have out-rebounded the Celtics by 20 over the last two contests.

Brian Windhorst

ESPN.com

• ESPN.com NBA writer since 2010
• Covered Cleveland Cavs for seven years
• Author of two books