(AP)

The 76ers have looked outside their locker room this season for players to deliver messages of import to rookies Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel.

During the Sixers’ ongoing 21-game losing streak, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant has reached out Carter-Williams, the point guard said. And according to coach Brett Brown, it’s not the first time a player of Durant’s caliber has done so.

“Behind closed doors the entire season, we’ve put Michael and Nerlens in front of people of incredible significance to share their stories. (Durant) is one of them, and that is true,” Brown said after Tuesday’s practice. “People that have a real story to tell that have been through it from the eyes that Michael, especially, sees it carries a lot of weight. I can tell you personally that the respect I have for Kevin Durant – that is one complete person. Just a fantastic player, a fantastic ambassador, a good human being. I personally appreciate him reaching out to Michael and helping him.”

Brown said he did not wish to disclose the genesis of these behind-closed-doors meetings between top-tier NBA folks and Noel and Carter-Williams. The rookie said his conversations with Durant began sometime after the All-Star break in New Orleans in February, where Carter-Williams played in the Rising Stars Challenge and Durant starred in the All-Star Game. That timeline would indicate their dialogue began during the Sixers’ franchise-record losing streak. The Sixers last won Jan. 29 at Boston.

Carter-Williams said Durant can relate to his rookie season. Durant’s Seattle SuperSonics went 20-62 in 2007-08, and 23-59 after relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008-09. Carter-Williams’ Sixers are 15-52, heading into Wednesday’s game against visiting Chicago.

“I’ve talked to Kevin Durant a few times,” Carter-Williams said. “His team wasn’t very good coming in, his rookie and sophomore year. I talk to him a bunch and he gives me good advice, telling me to stick with it and just keep working every day.

“I just think we can relate. He knows the struggle I’m going through. Just being basketball players, he came to me as a veteran and just talked to me a little bit about how to change things and change a program. Just a whole bunch of stuff.”

(AP)

76ers guard Tony Wroten says he will play tonight vs. Oklahoma City.

The Sixers’ sixth man, who sustained a right ankle sprain a week ago today, said he’s been cleared to return to the court after missing the team’s last three games. Wroten went through pregame warmups, testing out the ankle.

“Definitely playing through some (pain),” Wroten said. I’ve been working hard with (head trainer Kevin Johnson) on the rehab. My ankle feels a lot better. … Coming to rehab twice today before the game, it felt good. So I’m definitely going to play.”

Wroten said he did not immediately participate in on-court activity after coming out of his right ankle boot, requiring “a day or two” in between. But he said trainers informed him that, after the third or fourth day, he was healing quicker than anticipated.

As for whether he’s 100 percent, Wroten said he was unsure.

“It’s hard to give it a percentage,” Wroten said. “It’s I’m playing or I’m not playing. It was never going to be, ‘He’s not 100 percent.’”

NOTE: According to the Oklahoman, Thunder forward Kevin Durant will play. Durant, who sprained his right shoulder Wednesday, was a scratch for OKC Friday night at Boston.

(Associated Press)

Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant missed Friday’s game in Boston and is considered questionable Saturday, when he and the Thunder visit the 76ers.

Durant, who injured his shoulder Wednesday at San Antonio, had scored 30 or more points in nine consecutive games and averaged 38.9 points per game in that stretch. The three-time scoring champ leads the league with a 31.0-points-per-game average.

Sixers forward Thaddeus Young said he “saw on ESPN in the trainer’s room” that Durant had sat out the Thunder’s 101-83 win over the Celtics.

“Hopefully he doesn’t play,” Young said, “but if he does, we have to structure our defense to go out there and stop Kevin Durant and make other guys make plays.”