(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.”

(Associated Press)

OKLAHOMA CITY – In one facial expression, Evan Turner summed up the 76ers' night. He raced up-court to play defense, clutching the wrist on his right hand with the thumb and index finger of his left, signaling to an official that he expected a call that he didn't get.

These days, the Sixers aren't getting too many calls. And coach Doug Collins doesn't blame the officials for that.

In a 109-85 thumping handed out by Oklahoma City, the Sixers attempted eight free throws Friday. All eight were taken by Nick Young. No one else. Collins was asked afterward if he informed his team of the foul shot disparity.

“What am I going to say? I've been saying it for three years,” Collins said. “We've got to be stronger, take that ball to the basket and make them foul us. For one guy to shoot a free throw tonight, and I'm not saying that has anything to do with the whistle, so I don't want that to be miscalculated at all.”

The Sixers are not a physically tough team. They're a team that's content to rely on jumpshots. That's partly opinion, partly rooted in fact. Consider these numbers: The Sixers rank 28th in free-throw attempts (600) and 28th in free-throw makes (436). And because they rank 26th in free-throw percentage (.726), they're not even making the shots they're earning.

“In certain situations, we rely on pull-ups and getting cleaner shots,” Turner said. “That's not the first day where people are like, 'We don't get foul calls.' That's what happens. I'm not about to waste my time relying on someone else giving me a call.

“Sometimes you go to the rack, get drilled and it's a no-call and it messes up the transition (game) the other way and it adds to the frustration. Certain people on our team would much-rather rely on their jumpshot than going to the rack to get the call.”

One could argue that Jrue Holiday, the Sixers' primary ballhandler, could jump-start the foul-shooting spree by driving. After all, Holiday ranks 63rd in the league in attempts from the line. But because Holiday is at his best driving and kicking for a team loaded with 3-point threats, the task of drawing contact and, subsequently, fouls has to fall on someone else. Maybe that someone else is Spencer Hawes, a big with only 62 free-throw attempts. Maybe that someone else is Lavoy Allen, another big who is severely underperforming when it comes to drawing fouls (34 FTA).

“Sometimes we're getting fouled and sometimes you settle for jumpshots,” Young said. “Just one of those games. We've got some very talented offensive players here and any given night, it could be an attack night or it could be a night where they could feel good going up with their jumpshots.”

There have been plenty of those nights for the Sixers. For their sake, and for the sake of finishing an eight-game roadtrip with a win Saturday at San Antonio, maybe they should drive the lane instead of shooting jumpers.

(Associated Press)

OKLAHOMA CITY – A hotel flood aside, the Sixers spent the bulk of their Friday morning in good spirits.

They were laughing and joking their way through the final minutes of shootaround at Chesapeake Energy Arena, where they'll face the Thunder tonight. (In case you missed it – Seattle native Spencer Hawes, whose hometown Sonics were relocated to the Midwest, had a pretty solid Tweet about the hotel experience involving a pipe burst and an unexpected early wake-up call.)

Nonetheless, the Sixers seemed happy Friday – an emotion they haven't experienced too much of on this season-long, eight-game roadtrip, on which they've lost four of six thus far. Could they have walked out of Phoenix with a win? Sure. Same goes for a tight game in Portland.

It doesn't sound like Jason Richardson's all that worried about it, though.

“It's a learning experience, especially for a team as young as this,” he said. “It's a decent trip so far, still have to two games left and that lets us know we can't take a play off and we have to have clock management. We have to do things right all the time. I think we grew from those games we were right there and could've won, and that's going to help us out in the long run.”

Richardson said the time away from Philly has led to significant bonding time, like hotel-room hangouts, dinners among teammates, and a New Year's celebration in Los Angeles with the players' wives and girlfriends. So even if two more wins don't come of the roadtrip – and they might not, considering the Sixers face division-leading OKC and San Antonio – the team can bring camaraderie home with it.

“I think being on the road together, having an 'us against the world' thing,” Richardson said. “Being in tough environments and finding ways to pull together – the outcome sometimes, we didn't win the game, but we were there at the end. That's helping us grow as a team.”

(Associated Press)

NEW YORK – The calls aren't coming. The whistles have been in one team's favor, and that team hasn't been the 76ers.

They understand what's going on – sort of. They have a roster of bigs who prefer mid-range jumpers and guards who like testing themselves from the 3-point line. They get that. What they're struggling to comprehend is the difference between creating contact and initiating contact, which could what's separating them from getting to the line.

“As a referee,” Jrue Holiday said, “when you look at that – or even a regular person when you look at that – every time we play a game, is it that we just don't initiate contact? Or is it that it's not a foul? Why is it different? Why is that margin so bad? I can't really say anything. The only thing I can do is go out there and play.”

In losing, 95-92, to Brooklyn, the Sixers went 8-for-10 at the foul line, compared to 21-for-30 by the Nets. The Sixers have been outscored by 110 points at the free-throw line this season, more than any other team in the NBA.

The Sixers, who continue their roadtrip Wednesday in Memphis, are at a crossroads. They rank 29th in the NBA in free throw attempts, leading only Orlando in opportunities from the line. Without Andrew Bynum, a post player who has a propensity for drawing fouls, or a slashing shooting guard (Jason Richardson, at this stage of his career, just doesn't fit that bill), the Sixers are kind of out of options.

So what are they to do – have Evan Turner sacrifice his burgeoning mid-range game to drive and draw contact? Have Holiday drop the selfless act by passing less and shooting more? Have Dorell Wright take on some of that responsibility?

“You've got to do what you've got to do,” Wright said. “There are a lot of games that we play that are close games. If we lose by six or seven and the other team is beating us at the free-throw line. If fewer of those shots are in the paint, or we're getting to the free-throw line, we can take some games and beat some teams.”

Doing what the Sixers have to do does not involve technical fouls or fines from the league office, though.

“I have to be real careful because I don't want to give away my holiday money,” Sixers coach Doug Collins said. “I have to be real careful. We have to continue to get in there and find a way.”

Added Wright: “I only think I have three techs in my career, and the reason why is I know they're not going to change the call. The only thing you can do is go up to them nicely and say, 'Hey, you missed that,' or 'Hey, what was that?' You've just got to deal with it and do what you can to sell that you got fouled without flopping so you don't get fined – because I'm not trying to get fined.”

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EDITORIAL NOTE: Gang, I took some time off -- in conjunction with the holidays and the Sixers' West Coast roadtrip. I'll next be blogging (barring breaking news) from Oklahoma City for the tail-end of the eight-game stay away from Philly. So enjoy the holidays, be safe and check back with the blog in the near future. Cheers!