According to the Associated Press, Houston Rockets forward Carl Landry is expected to miss one to three weeks after he was shot in the left leg early Tuesday while driving near his home.
The injury was minor, and the team said Landry was treated at a hospital and released. Landry, who also dislocated a finger on his left hand, also was examined by team doctor Tom Clanton.
The shooting occurred about 2:30 a.m., a few hours after the Rockets returned from a game at New Orleans. Landry drove home after the team arrived about 12:30 a.m.
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.
Landry had a female passenger in his SUV, and she was not injured, police said.
General manager Daryl Morey visited Landry at the hospital and said he sustained a surface wound that was no worse than a calf strain.
The 6-foot-9 Landry has become a valuable player off the bench for the Rockets, averaging 9.3 points and five rebounds in his second NBA season. He had 12 points and six rebounds in Monday’s 95-84 win that kept Houston in third place in the Western Conference standings.
Landry was drafted by Seattle in the second round in 2007, then traded to Houston for a future second-round pick and cash. He averaged eight points and 4.9 rebounds in 2007-08.
In Game 3 of a first-round series against Utah, Landry blocked Deron Williams’ layup try with 3.4 seconds left to preserve Houston’s 94-92 victory. Landry also lost a tooth in that game after taking an elbow from Utah’s Carlos Boozer.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.