The Dallas Mavericks extended their season on Wednesday night with a hard-fought 120-106 victory against the Sacramento Kings. The show goes on, at least for one more game as the Mavericks will travel to Memphis to face off with the Grizzlies on Friday night.

Dallas will have to win that contest to secure the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup with Oklahoma City.

For now, the focus is on the inspiring effort the Mavericks displayed on the West Coast. Trailing by two entering the second quarter, Dallas went on a massive run sparked by Klay Thompson and Brandon Williams. Thompson put up 16 points in the frame on a perfect 5/5 shooting, including 4/4 from three-point range.

It was a cathartic outing for Thompson, who struggled in an elimination loss to the Kings last season while he was with the Golden State Warriors. He bounced back in a big way, finishing as the second-leading scorer for the Mavericks with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 33 minutes.

Following the victory, Thompson spoke with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt. He revealed a message that he had for the Mavericks prior to the game.

"We had to endure quite the year especially when it comes to the injury bug. To have our team almost complete, obviously we miss our brother Kyrie, I mean, we all can imagine what he would do for our team, sky is the limit when he's in the lineup," Thompson said.

"We're desperate to keep the postseason alive," Thompson continued. "It's a privilege to play basketball this team of year and I told the guys before the game 'We have nothing to lose, go out here with a free swing, play for each other and play free-minded because that's where we're at our best' and there's nothing like being able to compete this time of year. It's truly special."

Thompson's rallying cry clearly worked as the Mavericks outhustled the Kings and played with a different level of desperation.

It makes sense why Thompson is cherishing every moment he gets to be on the court. After all, he missed two consecutive seasons due to ACL and Achilles injuries. Thompson has always been someone who truly loves basketball and the time he spent away from the game helps him appreciate it even more.

The Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies will battle for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference on Friday, April 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EST and the game will be televised on ESPN.