"Apparently, Heat point guard Rafer Alston didn't take losing his starting job as well as he figured he would.

The Heat suspended Alston indefinitely without pay after he failed to show up for Saturday's home game against the Atlanta Hawks. Alston was placed on the inactive list for Saturday's game. The team issued a release late Saturday night in which it claims Alston has not responded to repeated attempts to reach him over two days.

Alston had been mired in a shooting slump since he was signed on Jan. 7, and was replaced as the starter by Carlos Arroyo before Thursday's victory against the L.A. Lakers. Alston did not play in that game and was also benched for the final three quarters of Tuesday's game against Golden State for his ineffective play.

In the release, the Heat claims that Alston's only contact with the team was through a text message. A team spokesman said Alston contacted Heat trainer Jay Sabol in advance of Friday's practice, but he did not show up for the team's workout.

It is likely Alston's no-show could mean the end to his brief reunion with the Heat after 25 games. He signed with the Heat after he was released by New Jersey following a similar fall from the Nets' depth chart."