Carmelo Anthony arrested for DUI

DENVER (Reuters) - Basketball star Carmelo Anthony was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving early on Monday morning, hours after leading his Denver Nuggets to a victory over the Houston Rockets.

Anthony was pulled over in his Mercedes on a freeway near downtown Denver after he was spotted weaving and failing to dim his high-beam headlights, Denver Police Det. Sharon Hahn said. Anthony was alone in the car when he was stopped around 4 a.m., she said.

In a statement issued through his attorney, Anthony, 23, said he regrets the incident.

"Carmelo apologizes to his fans, the Denver community, his teammates and the Nuggets organization for the distraction this is causing them," the statement said.

Anthony was taken into custody, booked and later released after consenting to a blood test. He has a court date scheduled for May 14.

On Sunday night, he scored 11 points as the Nuggets beat the Houston Rockets 111-94 to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Anthony is one of the NBA's most versatile most players, averaging 25.8, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this season.

The 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward is in his fifth season with the Nuggets and is a two-time All Star out of Syracuse, where he led the Orangemen to the 2003 NCAA title as a freshman.

He was suspended for 25 games during the 2006-2007 season for punching New York Knicks guard Mardy Collins in the face during one of the NBA's worst brawls.

The Nuggets organization issued a statement saying they were aware of the arrest and were "gathering information," but had no further comment.