HOUSTON — Hours after arriving home from an important victory in New Orleans, the Houston Rockets awakened to news that forward Carl Landry had been shot overnight near his home.
Landry, 25, suffered a minor wound to his left calf and is expected to miss only one to three weeks. The team said Landry was treated at a hospital and released.
The shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m., a few hours after the Rockets returned from a 95-84 win over the Hornets that kept them in third place in the Western Conference.
Houston police said Landry was driving his sport utility vehicle southbound on a city street, when a northbound car swerved into his path and collided with his vehicle. Landry and the driver of the other vehicle made U-turns and the vehicles collided again and Landry’s SUV hit a utility pole.
Police spokesman Kese Smith said Landry got out of his SUV to inspect the damage, and was shot by one of the two occupants of the car. The suspects then fled the scene, while Landry ran to get help, police said.
• Dallas Mavericks swingman Josh Howard will be out at least another week because of an injured left ankle that might require surgery.
• Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton is day to day because of a nagging groin problem.
• San Antonio Spurs forward Tim Duncan sat out against the Minnesota Timberwolves to rest his ailing knees.
Morehead State wins NCAA opener
DAYTON, Ohio — Morehead State never trailed en route to a 58-43 victory over Alabama State (22-10) that gave the Eagles their first NCAA Tournament triumph in 25 years and a first-round rematch with Louisville.
Kenneth Faried, the Ohio Valley Conference’s defensive player of the year, had 14 points and 21 rebounds as Morehead State (20-15) dominated the boards 50-27.
Louisville defeated the Eagles by 38 last November.
• Ty Lawson‘s troublesome toe could keep North Carolina’s speedy point guard sidelined for the Tar Heels’ NCAA Tournament opener. Coach Roy Williams said the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year must practice today in order to play in Thursday’s game against Radford.
Footnotes.
Florida State will appeal part of an NCAA punishment that would strip the school of victories in 10 sports, including as many as 14 in football. The university president called the penalty “excessive and inappropriate.”
• Lance Mackey remained in the lead in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race as his team turned in the direction of Nome — and the end of the 1,100-mile trail in Alaska.
• Graeme McDowell shot a 6-under-par 66 and the rest of his team at Lake Nona piled on to win the Tavistock Cup 17-13 against an Isleworth team led by Tiger Woods in Orlando, Fla.
• Formula One’s championship will be decided by number of race wins and not accumulated points. The current points system will remain in effect only to determine the driver’s title in the case of a tie.
• Cyclist Kurt Hovelijnck is in intensive care with a skull fracture after crashing during a training run in Belgium.
The Associated Press
