For the fourth time in his last five games, Ellis established a season high for points in a game. That's a remarkable feat when you note that he set the bar awfully high -- 34 points against Portland -- at the start of his ongoing flurry.

The fifth-year Warrior has done more than just score points during his amazing run. In his last nine games, a stretch in which he has averaged 29.4 points, he also has contributed 5.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 steals a game, hitting exactly half his 210 shots along the way.

And it's not as if the big numbers have come against lightweights. Included in the Warriors' last nine opponents have been the Cavaliers, Celtics, Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Spurs and Lakers.

If Ellis is to make the elite 12-man team, he's going to have to overcome two obstacles: stiff competition and his team's non-elite status.

It's not easy cracking the Western Conference backcourt. Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Tony Parker and Brandon Roy were the five guards selected last year. And like Ellis, Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Jason Kidd, Baron Davis, Manu Ginobili and rookie Tyreke Evans are trying to crack that quintet this season.

The Warriors' record certainly isn't going to help Ellis. Even after winning Monday, the club walked off the Oakland court tied with Memphis for the second-worst record in the West.

WARRIORS 126, PACERS 107: A not-so-funny thing happened to Monta Ellis on his way to an apparent 50-point night Monday: He ran into one of his old pals, Mike Dunleavy. Literally. Dunleavy drew a game-ending sixth foul on Ellis on a charging call with 6:03 remaining, not only denying the Warrior a shot at 50 but also putting Golden State's 12-point lead very much in jeopardy. But Corey Maggette took matters into his own hands and saved the day, scoring six of his 14 points in the next two minutes as the Warriors actually extended the lead with their one-man show on the bench, then coasted to the home win.