​The Oklahoma City Thunder lost their third consecutive game on Friday night, marking the first time in several years that the franchise has experienced a losing streak of that magnitude. In an NBA Cup matchup against the LA Clippers on the road, Oklahoma City came up just short in a heartbreaking 113-112 defeat.The Thunder trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half but slowly chipped away at the deficit before putting together a phenomenal third quarter. Jared McCain was the catalyst for that comeback, scoring 17 points in the third quarter alone to help Oklahoma City take the lead entering the final frame.And in the fourth quarter, the Thunder actually held a multi-possession lead late in the game before letting it slip away.Ultimately, Darius Garland made the go-ahead basket to put the Clippers ahead 113-112, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed a potential game-winning corner jumper in the final seconds.It was a devastating finish for Oklahoma City, especially considering how hard the team fought to get back into the contest.Gilgeous-Alexander was still phenomenal, finishing with 40 points, five assists and four rebounds while shooting 15-of-26 from the field. McCain and Isaiah Hartenstein also chipped in more than 20 points apiece, providing much-needed offensive production for a depleted Thunder roster.Those three players combined for 84 of Oklahoma City’s 112 points, but it ultimately wasn’t enough to secure the victory.This felt like the first truly bad loss of the season for Oklahoma City, even considering the overwhelming number of injuries the team has faced.In each of the Thunder’s previous losses, it felt like they were simply overmatched because of the players they were missing. With Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace sidelined, Oklahoma City hasn’t had nearly the same level of talent available that made it so dominant last season.And with AJ Mitchell now joining the long list of injured players, the situation has only become more difficult.However, Friday was different. Even with all of those absences, Oklahoma City still appeared to have more talent than a Clippers team that entered the night with just two victories.The Thunder had every opportunity to win this game and simply couldn’t close it out.Oklahoma City has now lost four games on the season and continues to slide down the Western Conference standings after what was an incredibly promising start.From here, the Thunder will travel to Sacramento to take on the Kings on Sunday in a game that suddenly feels like a must-win as Oklahoma City looks to end its losing streak and get back on track.