The Los Angeles Clippers entered Thursday night's game in Houston looking to snap out of their season-long struggles, but once again came up short in a game that went down to the wire. 

Despite strong efforts from their star players, the Clippers fell to the Houston Rockets 115-113 at the Toyota Center in a contest that had no shortage of late-game chaos.

With the loss, the Clippers dropped to 6-19 on the season and remain near the bottom of the Western Conference, while the Rockets improved to 16-6 and continue to establish themselves as one of the top teams in the West.

What Went Wrong for the Clippers

The game was tied at 110 with less than 30 seconds remaining when the Rockets had possession, and after a wild sequence of missed shots and offensive rebounds, Amen Thompson finally grabbed the ball and put in a layup while drawing a foul. 

He knocked down the free throw to give Houston a 113-110 lead with just 17.2 seconds left on the clock. 

From there, the Clippers could never recover despite their best efforts to claw back.

The ending sequence was messy for both teams. 

After Ivica Zubac made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to two, Jabari Smith Jr. elbowed Kris Dunn after grabbing the rebound and gave the ball back to the Clippers.

Then, with a chance to tie or take the lead, Kawhi Leonard drove into the paint but was called for an offensive foul after shoving Aaron Holiday.

The Clippers challenged the call but were unsuccessful, and the Rockets held on from there.

Clippers Stars Show Up in the Loss

Even though the Clippers came away with the loss, there were some bright spots from their top players. 

Zubac was a force all night long, finishing with a team-high 33 points while dominating in the paint. Leonard added 24 points as he continues to show he can still be one of the best players in the league when healthy, and James Harden chipped in 22 points in his return to Houston where he spent eight seasons.

The Clippers actually led 82-80 heading into the fourth quarter after Leonard and Zubac combined to carry the offense through three quarters. 

However, the Rockets stormed back in the final period with a 10-0 run early in the fourth that gave them the momentum they needed to pull away.

Looking Ahead

The Clippers will need to regroup quickly as their struggles continue to pile up in what has been a season to forget so far. Their veteran-heavy roster has dealt with injuries and inconsistency throughout the year, and close losses like this one make it even harder to climb out of the hole they've dug themselves. 

The two teams will meet again on December 23 in Los Angeles when the Clippers will look for revenge on their home floor.