" Inconsistent play and struggles to close out games in the fourth quarter were among the factors that led to Miami acquiring veteran guard Rafer Alston, Heat president Pat Riley said Saturday.

Riley said he remains confident in second-year point guard Mario Chalmers and appreciates Carlos Arroyo's stop-gap stint as a starter. But there was a need to bolster the position for a playoff run.

``This is about winning,'' Riley said after watching the Heat's practice Saturday on the UCLA campus. ``This move is about winning right now. [Alston] became available, and it would be foolish not to try to sign him.''

The decision paid off quickly. Alston signed with the Heat on Thursday, was in the starting lineup Friday and helped lead Miami to a 109-105 victory against Phoenix to start a six-game trip."