MIAMI, Nov. 10 (Ticker) -- Jason Williams spared the Miami Heat some serious questions.

Williams scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter as the Heat rallied from an eight-point deficit for an 88-84 victory over the shorthanded Houston Rockets.

NBA TV highlights from Rockets-Heat: Play

Dwyane Wade scored 25 points and, Alonzo Mourning stood up to Yao Ming with 13 points and nine rebounds as the Heat snapped a two-game slide that had plenty of people asking what was wrong with the Eastern Conference contenders.

"That has to be the model for us on how to finish a game," said Miami coach Stan Van Gundy, who ended his team's slide with a win over his brother.

"I was getting tired of losing," said Wade, who had 10 turnovers in a loss at Indiana on Wednesday. "We were down eight, and I told the guys that we're not going to lose this game - do whatever it takes. We have to win this game."

Miami (3-3) is without superstar center Shaquille O'Neal, who is out for perhaps a month with a sprained ankle. However, the Heat spent the offseason fortifying their roster with a handful of prominent players.

One of them is Williams, a point guard acquired from Memphis in a five-team trade who has had a rough go of it thus far. He came in averaging 10.2 points on 40 percent shooting and had an on-court argument with fellow new-arrival Antoine Walker during Monday's win over New Jersey.

There was no time for arguing Thursday. After their second third-quarter drought in as many nights, the Heat trailed, 68-60, early in the fourth period before Williams stopped a 14-4 surge by the Rockets with a 3-pointer.

"He was in a situation (in Memphis) where he was used to making all the plays for everybody," Walker said. "Now it's a little different. He has to make shots, he has to spot up a little bit more. It just takes time to get used to that role. He's got to pick his spots ... and know when fit in and when to take over a game. ... Tonight he was looking more aggressive."

With 7:05 to play, Williams made a running layup and drew the foul. His free throw pulled Miami into a tie, and his jumper just over a minute later provided a 74-72 lead.

"Jason is just picking his spots, learning the role the coaches want him to play," Wade said. "He's getting the open shots. We want him to shoot them. He's catching them in a rhythm and knocking them down."

"You can't play any better down the stretch of a game than he did tonight," Van Gundy said. "That was very encouraging."

The Heat were clinging to a one-point lead when Williams took a pass from a driving Wade and drilled a 3-pointer from the left corner for an 81-77 advantage with 2:16 to go.

"I let him drive away from the screen," said Houston guard Derek Anderson, who scored 20 points. "He found the 3-point shot and he hit it. I made a mental error at the wrong time of the game and hurt my team."

"I'm still not 100 percent comfortable yet playing with these guys," Williams said. "Every game I'm trying to get better. ... Nobody was in front of me. I just started taking shots. I've just got to keep taking them, whether I'm making them or missing them."

Mourning added a jumper at the 1:12 mark, and Miami made 5-of-6 free throws in the final 15 seconds to hold on.

Mourning gave away seven inches to the 7-6 Yao, who had 24 points and 14 rebounds. But the former Defensive Player of the Year - starting in place of O'Neal - had three emphatic blocked shots and limited Yao to two points in the final period.

"They were fronting me and double-teaming me in the post," Yao said. "They broke our plays. I couldn't catch the ball in the post. I had to go set more screens on the perimeter to try and get the defender (Mourning) off my body."

"Zo made it a lot tougher for him to get the ball (in the second half)," Van Gundy said.

While the Heat are managing without their superstar, the Rockets are reeling without theirs. Swingman Tracy McGrady missed his third straight game with a strained back, and Houston has lost all three, averaging 80.7 points and collapsing in the final period.

Stromile Swift added 12 points for Houston, which began a season-high six-game road trip.

"You should get (effort)," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "You're not paid to try hard. That should be a given. We're paid to produce, all of us, myself included. We're not right now. To lose the same way three straight games should be disturbing to all of us because it shows that either we don't believe in what we're doing, we don't trust (each other) enough, or the plan is flawed."

"Right now, it is not about talking," Yao said. "We need to change. We need to change ourselves on our own. Talk the talk and walk the walk."