With the loss to the Thunder, the Clippers remain winless at the Intuit Dome

The game was supposed to be a test of their endurance, a test to see how the Clippers could manage to play a fourth game in seven days while facing the Western Conference's top team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Clippers have already been tested this season, tests that determined whether they can deliver late when a win is on the line. Things didn't go well as the Clippers lost three close games on Saturday.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said the Thunder would “test our mentality and the way we play.”

Lue wanted his group to play as well in the second half as they usually did in the first half of games – to maintain the same performance.

The Clippers (2-4) were unable to achieve this goal and lost 105-92 to the Thunder. The Clippers have lost three straight and are 0-4 at the Intuit Dome, their new home in Inglewood.

“So, like I said, just be mentally tough and strong,” Lue said before the game. “We’re not the only ones playing this schedule. So we had to focus, pay attention to details and just play better on both ends of the field in the second half.”

The Clippers started the first quarter strong and built a 13-point lead. They shot 6-for-16 from three-point range, setting a franchise record for three-point attempts in the first quarter.

But in the second quarter they struggled with turnovers and gave the ball away eight times, which resulted in eleven points. For the game, the Clippers had 20 turnovers.

Lue said before the game that he wanted the Clippers to take care of basketball. The Clippers averaged 16.4 turnovers per game, sixth-worst in the NBA. They failed to reduce turnovers against the Thunder, who led the league with an average of 13.8 steals per game entering Saturday.

At halftime, the Thunder (6-0) cut the Clippers' lead to 57-53. Down 12-2 early in the fourth quarter, the Clippers fell into a 13-point hole and couldn't get any closer.

“…When we run our offense, we have a pretty good offense,” Lue said. “But if we play random basketball, we’re not that good right now. So if we hold on (and stagnate), we’re not doing very well.”

Norman Powell led the Clippers with 24 points, but James Harden had just 12 points on four-for-13 shooting and 13 rebounds. Ivica Zubac had nine points and 12 rebounds.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 25 points and nine assists.