MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Carter was arrested early yesterday on suspicion of drunken driving and was being held in the Hennepin County jail.

Carter, a former University of Hawai'i standout, was stopped near downtown Minneapolis by officers who noticed him driving erratically about 2:17 a.m., police spokesman Ron Reier said. Carter failed field sobriety tests and eventually tested at 0.17 blood alcohol content, above Minnesota's 0.08 limit for driving, Reier said.

Because Carter had a previous DWI in California within the last 10 years, he faces a gross misdemeanor charge, Reier said.

Carter, a point guard who has started occasionally, is averaging 3.6 points and 2.4 assists per game.

He issued a statement through his attorney, apologizing to the organization and owner Glen Taylor in particular.

"I want to minimize the distraction that this incident may cause my teammates and understand that this is my responsibility to deal with," Carter said.