PHILADELPHIA—Explaining that the men currently engaged in the four-on-four pickup game are “really big” and “seem kind of mean,” players on the Philadelphia 76ers were reportedly hesitant Friday to kick a group of tough-looking guys off the team’s practice court. “I tried asking them what time they’d be done, but I don’t think they heard me,” said 76ers starting point guard Michael Carter-Williams, adding that his teammates and coaches have been quietly standing on the sidelines of the practice facility for 15 minutes in the hopes that the men would notice and take the hint to finish up. “The court is definitely reserved for us, but I don’t really want to start a whole fuss over it with these guys. At one point, it actually looked like they were done, but they just took a quick water break and then started up a new game with different teams. After this one’s over, I’ll try to see if they’ll let us use half of the court.” At press time, the 76ers players had sheepishly declined an invitation to join the pickup game, politely insisting that they would wait to take the court until the other men were done.

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