PHOENIX -- Rafer Alston probably could thank Dwyane Wade for leaving the worst team in the league this season and rejoining the Heat.
It's not because the two were friends and teammates in Miami during the 2003-04 season, when Wade was a rookie.
Instead, it was Wade's game-winning shot as time expired in the Heat's 81-80 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Nov. 14 that might have contributed to Alston's eventual departure.
Had Wade missed that attempt, the Nets would have ended their season-opening losing streak at nine games. Instead, they lost another eight, coach Lawrence Frank was fired and team set an NBA record with a 0-18 start behind a lineup ravaged by injuries.
``We think we had that game won, and Dwyane hits it,'' Alston said Friday. ``It's tough.
``Little things like that start the snowball effect, uphill or downhill.''
Things are looking up again for Alston, who started at point guard for the Heat on Friday, barely 24 hours after he signed with the team for the remainder of the season. Alston finished with 10 points and four assists in 35 minutes in the Heat's 109-105 victory.
And it has been a whirlwind since for Alston, who arrived in Phoenix on Thursday, participated in Miami's shootaround before Friday's game and stayed at U.S. Airways Center to get in more work after the team left.
Alston is back with Miami after the Nets bought out his $5.3 million contract Tuesday.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was confident enough in Alston's ability to pick things up quickly that he inserted him into the starting lineup in place of Carlos Arroyo, who had started the past 12 games.
``Guys that have played in a lot of different systems make it pretty easy to come into new stuff,'' Spoelstra said of Alston, who has played for six teams in 11 seasons. ``I just want to make sure he has enough knowledge of our basic package.''
Alston's arrival reestablishes the pecking order at point guard, with the veteran Arroyo and second-year player Mario Chalmers uncertain of their status.
``We've addressed it,'' Spoelstra said discussions with Arroyo and Chalmers about their roles. ``We'll just have to see how it plays out. I'm sure we'll have more conversations once the issue becomes clearer.''
Arroyo, who's had one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the league since replacing Chalmers as the starter, said Alston's addition makes the position stronger.
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