A running theme for the Los Angeles Clippers in this early stretch of the season has been an inability to close out games or hold on to leads and that running theme reared it's ugly head again after an overtime loss to the Miami Heat 117-116. 

The Clippers held a healthy lead for most of the game, bolstered by a 43-point second quarter, but that lead was slowly eroded by Miami as the Clippers suffered defensive lapses that allowed the Heat with just enough opportunities to steal the game away.

It started as soon as the third quarter when the Heat bounced back with a 26-20 quarter to slowly ship away the lead, an effort that continued into the fourth where the Heat briefly took the lead with a 15-6 run to close out the fourth, before a free throw from forward Rui Hachimura tied things back up to send the game into overtime. 

In overtime, the Clippers once again led for most of the extra time, but the Heat once again climbed back before a jumper from guard Klay Thompson gave the Heat the lead with just one second on the clock to close out the game and keep the Clippers away from what would have been their second win of the season.

The Clippers have shown their potential in flashes this season, but flashes haven't been enough to consistently put wins on the books for the team. Now at 1-7, the Clippers have to start looking inward and asking some serious questions about what it will take for the team to start turning their leads and their talent into some tangible success. 

On that front, the ever-optimistic head coach Ty Lue is confident that the team will be able to put together some winning stretches soon, but he does acknowledge the problems that Clippers need to address. 

"We're close, just not finishing the game," Lue said. "Turnovers in the fourth quarter, having the ball secure... Little things like that."

Turnovers decidedly proved to be the fatal flaw for the Clippers with 20 lost balls compared to 12 by the Heat, and the opportunities those turnovers afforded the Heat in the fourth quarter especially proved to be more than enough to enable Miami to put together a comeback rally.

The Clippers have talent and encouraging youngsters like guard Keaton Wagler do point toward a positive future for Los Angeles, but the reckless way that the team has been playing as of late is clearly not sustainable and that will have to change before anything else if the Clippers want to truly find success once again.