The Los Angeles Clippers were seconds away from claiming their first win since their season-opening blowout of the Sacramento Kings on Oct. 21. 

However, Klay Thompson and the Miami Heat had other ideas, handing the Clippers (1-7) their seventh straight defeat, 117-116, in overtime at Intuit Dome on Wednesday night after erasing a 20-point deficit. 

Thompson all but walked the Clippers off with a wide-open corner triple with around a second remaining in OT. Despite not being the same player he once was in his prime, the 36-year-old sharpshooter rarely misses those, and he had already made seven three-pointers earlier in the game. 

Losses don't get more crushing than that, especially when you've been starved of a win for weeks. 

The Clippers led for 68 percent of the game, with their 43-19 second-quarter surge putting them in the driver's seat. But an inexplicable second-half collapse against a fellow struggling Heat (3-5) team has left them having to wait for another day. 

"We have to keep doing what we're supposed to do," Rui Hachimura said afterward. "We thought we had it today... And coming out for the second half, we talked about the third quarter; we couldn't hold them. They came back, and from there it was a tough game for us."

Hachimura was one of the main positives for the Clippers in the defeat. He flirted with a triple-double, posting 21 points, nine rebounds, and a career-high seven assists. 

Darius Garland added 26 points and seven assists but was hampered by turnovers (6) that continue to stain his overall solid start to the campaign. He is averaging 5.5 giveaways per game. 

Brook Lopez chipped in 20 points in a spot start as the Clippers turned in a balanced performance, but fine margins and the Heat's experience prevailed in the end. 

The Clippers can slot this one into the lessons-learned folder. 

They can be somewhat positive about being as close to winning as they were in a game where Thompson had 30 points, Bam Adebayo led Miami with 35 points, and Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and six assists. 

However, on the flip side, there are enough veterans on the Clippers to where they should be able to see such games out. 

Hachimura, though, seems confident that better times are near. 

The Clippers will host the 4-4 New Orleans Pelicans in their next game after a few days off on Sunday — arguably the perfect opportunity to bounce back. 

On paper, the Pelicans — who are cruising at .500 — look like another tough test. But the Clippers have to win a game at some point. They are overdue in that sense, and they owe their home fans one (1-3 at Intuit) after the way they fell apart against the Heat.