If losses won’t wake up Bulls ownership, maybe empty seats will

The attendance was announced as 14,775 Monday night at the United Center.

Actual bodies in the seats: Not even close.

Late-game meltdowns, so-called foundation pieces not playing to expectations and a losing record — now 8-17 — haven’t been enough to push Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf to make changes this season. But maybe thousands of empty red seats will.

Something has to.

On a night when the Bulls shot a head-shaking 12-for-46 (26.1 percent) from three-point range and still had every opportunity to steal the game from the defending NBA champion Raptors, they lost 93-92, continuing to numb their fan base in a season in which the front office had playoff goals.

“I can’t speak for everybody or the fans,” coach Jim Boylen said after the latest loss. “I get a lot of positive feedback from our group. I think people understand what we’re trying to build. It’s disappointing when we don’t win games. It’s disappointing when we don’t win home games.”

The Bulls are now 4-9 at the UC this season. And a lot of these losses look the same.

For the second time in as many home games, guard Zach LaVine had a chance to win the game but fell short. It was a missed three last week. Against the Raptors, it was attacking the paint despite a double-team and missing the attempted game-winner from the baseline.

“This team is playing hard, and they’re competing and they’re growing,” Boylen said. “I think people can see that, too.”

“I’m not going to let those things deter me from understanding who we are and what we’re trying to do and what we’re building. I’m not, I’m not. I can’t control [fans’ opinions]. I’m not going to do it.”

While Boylen again praised the effort, there was nothing positive to say about the execution by either team. There were turnovers, missed layups and missed three-pointers — awful, over-shot three-pointers that both teams settled for all evening long.

By the end of the first quarter, the Bulls were 3-for-11 from three-point range, with the Raptors slightly better with a 5-for-12 clip. By the half, the Bulls were 6-for-27, while the Raptors were 6-for-21.

What the Bulls did have working for them was LaVine, who was at least aggressive enough to get to the line seven times.

The Bulls continued to try to jam a square peg in a round hole in the second half, going 3-for-11 from three-point range in the third quarter. Then Denzel Valentine happened, and he brought along a friend.

Fifteen seconds into the fourth, Valentine nailed a three. About a minute later, a second three from Valentine. Then came an alley-oop show, as Valentine had two picture-perfect passes for rookie Daniel Gafford to catch next to the rim and deposit with force.

With eight minutes left, the Bulls looked to be cruising and pulling away, up 85-77.

Then came four minutes of crickets. Not a basket, not a free throw — another fourth-quarter cold spell for a team that has had too many of them, especially the starters.

As bad as the Raptors (16-7) were playing, of course they were going to take advantage of it, as Kyle Lowry hit two free throws to give his team the lead.

But on a night in which neither team deserved the “W,” the Bulls found themselves in position to take it. After a missed shot by Lowry was reviewed and the ball was given to the Bulls with 8.1 second left, it was hero time for LaVine.

Except he missed.

“It’s tough,” Valentine said. “Hopefully at some point we’ll figure it out.”