MIAMI -- The last time Chris Bosh played against the San Antonio Spurs, he was offensively brilliant. It seems like a long time ago. During the Eastern Conference finals, Bosh found himself in a baffling slump, missing 26 of his last 34 shots and not even reaching the double-digit mark in scoring during any of his last four games -- the longest such drought for the All-Star big man since a five-game streak that began during the first week of his NBA career. All that, he hopes, will be forgotten now. A new series has arrived, and the stakes couldnt be higher when Bosh and the Miami Heat begin taking on the Spurs in the NBA Finals, with Game 1 set for Thursday night. "My confidence never goes anywhere," Bosh said. "It never wavers. Its always the same. I feel that Im always capable of playing well. This is a different circumstance. I take it as that, and I move on." Thats exactly what the Heat want to hear from their starting centre. For three years now, the Heat -- who have LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the roster -- have routinely insisted that Bosh is Miamis most important player. And against a Spurs team that has a consummate big man in Tim Duncan, along with a combination of size and athleticism that can easily give any opponent fits, the Heat will surely need help from Bosh if theyre to successfully defend their title. "I like the way he left off last series," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Very comfortable. He looked comfortable. Even though he didnt necessarily convert a lot of his makes, it was more similar to his game. And hes proven it before that one series doesnt dictate necessarily what happens the next series, particularly when match-ups and styles of play are different." Bosh scored nine points in the Game 7 win over Indiana, his best total in the final four games of that series. He shot 1 for 6 in Game 4, 3 for 7 in Game 5, 1 for 8 in Game 6 and then 3 for 13 in the final game of the East title matchup. Thats 28 points, total, in four games. Hes scored at least that many on 106 single-game occasions in his career. A quick start in Game 1 of the finals is what Bosh is looking for now, if for no other reason than to forget what hes been dealing with of late. "We always want to be aggressive individually and as a team," Bosh said. "You know, I want to really get going early offensively in games, because it helps me, we play better, I think I play better. Just coming out being aggressive and just really looking for my spots that establishes me early. And I think it propels me for the rest of the game." The irony here is that while Bosh is in the worst offensive slump of his season -- and most significant one of his career, arguably -- is that when Miami visited San Antonio on March 31, he was an offensive fireplug. With James and Wade sitting out that night because of injuries, Bosh was the No. 1 option, all the way to the end. And the Heat pulled off an 88-86 victory when Bosh made a 3-pointer over Tim Duncan with about a second remaining, capping what was a 23-point night. Bosh had 23 points in his very next game as well. Hes gotten to the 20-point mark -- and it was exactly 20 -- only one time in his 19 appearances since. "I spent a lot of time with Chris in his house. Were neighbours," Wade said, beginning to tell a story of how he and Bosh spent the night before Game 7 of the Indiana series. "And I told him, I said, Chris, it didnt matter if you scored 30 points a game up until this point. If you get in Game 7 and score two points and we lose, youll feel just as bad or worse than you feel now. So its all about Game 7, man. Its all about this moment. Lets do whatever we can." Bosh made two big jumpers during a critical stretch of Game 7, as the Heat started pulling away toward what became a rout. The stat sheet says he didnt do much else, but the Heat would argue otherwise. "He was playing with a great motor ... and that energy was contagious for everybody," Spoelstra said. The beauty of being on the Heat is that no one has to carry the load alone, a lesson that Bosh was reminded of during -- and even after -- Game 7 of the East finals. During the on-court trophy presentation, players got T-shirts and caps to wear in commemoration of the East title. Bosh tugged his shirt on over his jersey, then plopped the cap onto his head while scooping up his two young children in either arm. So when the brim of the cap dipped over his eyes, he asked someone nearby to adjust it because he didnt want to put either of his kids down and free up a hand to do it himself. Same goes on the court. If Boshs shot is struggling, someone nearby will try to help him out. But if his shot is going -- like when he averaged 15.8 points during Miamis four wins over Oklahoma City in last years finals -- then the Heat will be tough to beat. "We have to play well as a team, play well inside our system," Bosh said. "And the team that plays the best series is going to win." Rafinha Jersey . They were putting most of their energy into a record-setting offensive display. Diego Alves Jersey . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. http://www.officialbrazilstore.com/world-cup-oscar-football-jersey/ . -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville. Kaka Jersey . PAUL, Minn. Jonas Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. NEW YORK -- Their rotation ravaged, the Mets handed the ball to a rookie for his first major league start.Their late-inning relievers run down, they allowed a 33-year-old left-handed specialist to face the big leagues No. 2 home-run hitter with two outs in the ninth.With veterans tired after an extra-inning win, backups filled many of the starting spots.In yet another surprising September turn, Gabriel Ynoa struck out eight over 4 2/3 innings, Jerry Blevins fanned Brian Dozier to complete a four-out save and New York completed a three-game sweep of the woeful Minnesota Twins with a 3-2 victory Sunday.Michael Conforto drove in two runs with a first-inning, opposite-field single to left, his first multi-RBI game since June 8. T.J. Rivera, a Bronx-born 27-year-old rookie, added a third-inning homer off Kyle Gibson (6-10).This is our season in a nutshell, Blevins said.A season-high 11 games over .500, the Mets won for the 11th time in 14 games despite benching Jose Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera, James Loney, Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce from the starting lineup after Saturdays late-night win, powered by Grandersons home runs in the 11th and 12th innings.New York opened a one-game lead over San Francisco for the NL wild-card lead, with St. Louis another game back. The Mets 13 remaining games are against teams with losing records: Atlanta, Philadelphia and Miami.Youve got to have guys that when they get the opportunity come through, Mets manager Terry Collins said.So under-the-radar that he is able to ride in a scooter from his Manhattan apartment to the subway, then scoot the short distance from the subway to the players entrance at Citi Field, Blevins wants to make up for last year. He was limited to seven games after his left arm was broken by a line drive in April, then fractured again when he slipped off a curb in August. He lost a chance to pitch against left-handers in October.The Royals have a ton of them, so that was heartbreaking for me as a competitor, he said.With closer Jeurys Familia and set-up man Addison Reed unavailable, Blevins retired pinch-hitter Eduardo Escobar on a popup to strand Robbie Grossman at third in the eighth inning.He struck out John Ryan Murphy starting the ninth, then got pinch-hitter Joe Mauer to pop out. After a mound visit by pitching coach Dan Warthen, Blevins threw a pair of called strikes to Dozier and got him to swing over a curveball in the dirt.Hes done it 41 times. He wanted to tie the ballgame up, Blevins said. So you try to give him something that looks like a strike and make him chase.New Yorks sixth pitcher, Blevinss got his fourth career save and second this year.dddddddddddd Dozier had extended his hitting streak to 22 games with a fifth-inning single that chased Ynoa.Ynoa started in place of 2014 NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom, likely out for the rest of the year because of an injury to the ulnar nerve in his right elbow that probably will require surgery. Ynoa entered with a 15.19 ERA in six relief appearances and became the Mets 11th starter this season.He allowed four hits, one walk and Murphys sacrifice fly in the second.I was informed yesterday and I prepared myself mentally on the fly, he said through a translator.After a strong start as a rookie last year, Conforto was demoted to Triple-A twice this season and entered Sunday hitting .214. Rivera spent six seasons in the minors before making his debut Aug. 10.You visualize this moment all your life, Rivera said.Erik Goeddel (2-1) struck out Kennys Vargas to strand the bases loaded in the fifth, and Vargas cut the lead to one when he homered in the eighth against Fernando Salas, a drive off the Wise billboard above the bullpens. Blevins then held on.Were in a position where if we play well, play the way we know we can the rest of the way, Conforto said, well be playing playoff baseball.GIDDY-UPAfter riding a horse at spring training one day, Cespedes is to visit Cespedes, a thoroughbred named after him, at Belmont Park on Tuesday.LATE SHOWGranderson joined Philadelphias John Mayberry Jr. (June 4, 2013) and St. Louis Matt Adams (Sept. 4, 2013) as the only players in the last 25 years to go deep twice in extra innings in the same game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.TRAINERS ROOMLucas Duda went 0 for 2 in his return from a stress fracture in his lower back, an injury that had sidelined him since May 20. ... Juan Lagares, coming off left thumb surgery, played center field in the ninth, his first appearance since July 28. ... LF Yoenis Cespedes left after six innings because of a nausea and dizziness. ... Collins wanted to play Wilmer Flores (wrist), but the infielder was unable to swing a bat. Flores has not played since Sept. 10. ... Collins said LHP Steve Matz (left shoulder tightness) could take this rotation turn the next time it comes up, which would be his first appearance since Aug. 14.UP NEXTMets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (13-8) starts on five days rest in Mondays series opener against Atlanta and RHP Aaron Blair (0-6). Syndergaard has a 1.36 ERA in his last six starts. Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys 2020 Wholesale Jerseys China NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys ' ' '