(My Sportsbook) - There is no doubt most members of an NBA dance team are smoking hot and Oklahoma City should be proud of its Thunder Girls.

The actual team, however, is not even worthy of the renowned walk of shame following a wild night of partying and mischievous activities. The Thunder have been plain ugly all season and not even a coaching change has slightly cured what has been eating at the core of this franchise. Kevin Durant is standing at the core with both hands on his hips waiting for someone or something to sweep him away like the oversized eagle that rescued Frodo and Samwise from the lava in the latest Lord of the Rings movie.

Oklahoma City is a league-worst 3-28 this season and players must feel as if they are trapped in NBA purgatory. It has lost four in a row and will kick off a four-game homestand Monday night versus Phoenix, Golden State, Denver and New York. The Thunder are a miserable 2-13 at home this season.

Durant is the face of the organization and is currently third in the Western Conference in scoring at 23.7 points per game. The second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft is averaging 27.5 points in his last 10 games and has scored 20 or more points in each contest over that stretch for the Thunder, who fell to 2-16 under interim head coach Scott Brooks. Brooks noted how sleep is not easy at times under these losing conditions but is eager for the challenge.

In other team news, rookie Russell Westbrook is hoping to get voted in by the fans for this year's NBA Slam Dunk contest to be held during All-Star weekend. Oklahoma City is also waiting on whether the New Jersey Nets will match the offer sheet it signed Nenad Krstic to last week. The center already took a physical and will bolster a weak frontcourt if New Jersey declines.

Center Nick Collison has missed the last three games with a fractured left thumb and is listed as day-to-day.

PORTLAND SET FOR TRUE HOME TEST

It's no secret the Portland Trail Blazers can play ball in the home confines of the Rose Garden, which will be rocking loudly Tuesday with the defending champion Boston Celtics in town.

Portland is 2-1 so far on a five-game homestand and pushed its Rose Garden record to 11-3 this season with a 102-89 victory versus Toronto over the weekend. The Blazers got the effort it had been waiting for from Greg Oden, who ended with 16 points and a game-best 10 rebounds after averaging just 6.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in his previous five games.

Oden has nine double-doubles this season and is third in rebounds (7.3) and second in blocked shots (1.32) among NBA rookies. The lanky Ohio State product better have both knees iced when Kevin Garnett leads the Celtics into Portland aiming for an eighth straight win in the series. Oden will have whiplash if he's not careful studying the Boston offense and its inside game beforehand.

Portland, which is one game behind division-leading Denver in the Northwest standings, can't say enough about forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge has scored 10 or more points in 20 consecutive contests to raise his average to 17.0 this season. The former Texas star has reached double digits in scoring in 28 of 31 games in 2008-09, and has posted 20 points or more 11 times.

The Blazers are 11-3 at home and will close out the residency versus the New Orleans Hornets on January 2.

MELO'S RETURN LIFTS NUGGETS' SPIRITS

Denver icon Carmelo Anthony had missed three straight games because of a right elbow contusion before making a return to his hometown of New York Sunday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Anthony helped send the Knicks to their sixth straight loss by pouring in 32 points in a 117-110 triumph. It was only the third 30-point game this season for Anthony, who knocked down a jump shot with 4:32 remaining in the contest to give Denver the lead for good at 107-106.

The Nuggets (20-11) can only hope Anthony will stay on the hot path alongside point guard Chauncey Billups. They opened a four-game road trip in style and will continue the swing Monday night at Atlanta. Denver, which leads the Northwest Division by a game over Portland, will also visit Toronto and Oklahoma City. Denver is 9-7 away from the Pepsi Center this season.

Denver is 19-8 since Billups returned to his hometown team after a trade that sent Allen Iverson to Detroit.

BANGED-UP JAZZ DOING THEIR BEST

The Utah Jazz barely have an inside presence now that forwards Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap and center Mehmet Okur are all out due to injury.

The big three missed their second straight game together following Saturday's double-overtime loss to the Houston Rockets, as Utah suffered its third loss in four games to fall to 18-14 this season and 2 1/2 games off the pace in the Northwest Division. Houston center Yao Ming and forward Ron Artest took advantage in the paint by scoring 26 and 28 points, respectively.

Boozer has been sidelined 20 games with a left leg injury suffered in late November, while Okur missed his third game in a row because of an ailing back. Boozer is expected to undergo another MRI. Millsap, who leads the Jazz in scoring (15.0) and rebounds (9.0), has been out the last two games due to a sprained left knee. Kyrylo Fesenko has been pressed into action lately and posted 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds against Houston.

Utah will play five of its next six games at home, starting with Monday's showdown versus the Philadelphia 76ers at EnergySolutions Arena. The Jazz are 11-4 in Salt Lake City this season.

BARK AT THE MOON: WOLVES HOWLING FOR A HOME WIN

The Minnesota Timberwolves haven't won in front of their home crowd since a 102-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on November 19. They have lost nine in a row as the host since then and own a miserable 2-12 record at the Target Center this season.

Minnesota is one of the worst teams in the NBA this season as evidenced by its putrid 5-24 record. The Timberwolves, who are 2-18 in conference play, have lost 14 of their last 15 games overall. They will try for a win at home Monday versus the Memphis Grizzlies in the finale of a quick two-game homestand.

Wolves guard Mike Miller has missed the past three games due to a sprained right ankle. He sustained the injury December 20 versus Houston and is listed as doubtful for Monday.

Al Jefferson leads the team in scoring (22.1), rebounds (10.2) and blocked shots (1.9) this season. Kevin Love leads all rookies so far with an average of 7.7 rebounds per game. Love has nine double-doubles in 2008-09, while the T'Wolves fell to 1-9 under interim head coach Kevin McHale.