Finally, Klay Thompson mused aloud, a much-needed win. Tangible progress. A ray of hope. Somehow, amid the most horrendous six weeks imaginable, Thompson seeks and seizes upon morsels of positivity, the latest case being Monday night’s win over San Antonio that ended the Mavericks’ five-game losing streak.

When star guard Klay Thompson signed with the franchise last summer, he envisioned being in the championship hunt at this time of the year and playing alongside Irving and Luka Doncic. Instead, that dream is long gone with Irving on the mend, Doncic in Los Angeles, and the Mavericks fighting for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.