Others figured things couldn't get worse, so they'd probably be about the same.

Few, if any, thought they'd get better. But that's exactly what they've done.

The Warriors ran their post-Jackson streak to five straight quality efforts Wednesday night when they led the Spurs late in the third quarter and battled to the wire in what turned out to be a 118-104 defeat in San Antonio.

Since trading Jackson, the Warriors have gone 2-3, with the wins coming over Portland at home and Dallas on the road. The losses have been at Cleveland, Boston and San Antonio, and each game was competitive.

Does this mean the Warriors could actually be a factor in the Western Conference playoff race this season? They're certainly playing well enough to make a run.

That said, it might already be too late. They walked off the San Antonio court with a 5-9 record, and now face the Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets and Magic among their next five foes.

That could be a good thing. After all, the Warriors have gained momentum mainly on the strength of losing to quality teams. Such is the state of the Warriors: They can feel like winners even when they're losing.

SPURS 118, WARRIORS 104: The Warriors ran out of gas Wednesday night. What was surprising was how long it took. Riding Monta Ellis' 38 points in the first 32 minutes, the Warriors, coming off a game in which three players played the entire way, led the Spurs with less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter. But then they hit the wall, missing four of their next five shots and mixing in six turnovers, as the Spurs took charge and held on down the stretch. Ellis finished with 42 points, tying a career best.