And he was the one receiving the cheers.

Four days after a trade that changed their lives, Korver and Gordan Giricek were playing at EnergySolutions Arena, just as the NBA schedule promised they would, only in different uniforms.

Thanks to his contribution to the Jazz's 110-107 victory Wednesday, Korver left the building happier - but not by much. He stayed on the floor longer than NBA players ever do after games, hugging several of his former Philadelphia teammates, including some who played with him for four-plus seasons. Asked the natural question about what the game was like for him, he answered intently, almost brusquely.

"I didn't like it," Korver said. "I didn't like it at all. I've been their teammate for a long time.

"I mean, it's tough," he continued. "I won't see them for a long time now. . . . It hasn't all sunk in yet, all the way. I'm just glad I got a chance to hug them and kind of say goodbye."

Giricek, meanwhile, absorbed steady boos from a sizeable segment of fans who apparently blamed him for the feud with coach Jerry Sloan that led to his departure.

Asked if he expected such a response, Giricek said, "Honestly, I didn't, but it's always good. . . . Your adrenaline goes up and it gives you momentum to play well."

As much as they like Korver, the fans probably should be thanking Giricek for helping facilitate the new guy's arrival. Giricek's expression of thanks in Wednesday's Tribune for the "support" he received for four years did not exactly work as a pre-emptive strike of any kind.

Tough crowd, obviously. Derek Fisher was booed even louder in November when he returned with the Los Angeles Lakers, after asking to be released from his Jazz contract, ostensibly for family reasons.

Good thing Karl Malone never wore a Laker uniform in this building.

"That's how fans are," said Jazz forward Carlos Boozer, not wanting to chastise his own followers, but seeming slightly surprised, just the same.

"I don't know why they're like that, but they're basketball fans," he said. "They want to cheer for the people that are on their team, and they pay for those seats; they're able to do what they want when they get here."

Of course, the treatment of Fisher and Giricek was nothing like the reception for Boozer in Cleveland, where he's considered a traitor.

"If we had to go back to Philly," Boozer suggested, "can you imagine what they'd do to Kyle? So it goes both ways."

Sorry, but that's awfully hard to imagine, even in Philly.

Korver is likely to remain popular, just for having the attitude of accountability he displayed after making 5 of 6 free throws down the stretch to clinch a victory the Jazz almost gave away, and then saying in all sincerity, "Yeah, I missed a free throw. I apologize for that."

I'm not kidding.

Before the game, Korver had joked about reuniting with the 76ers, having left them only Saturday and then greeting their arrival Tuesday night at a downtown hotel. "There wasn't a whole lot of catching up to do," he said.

Same story with Giricek, who was far more preoccupied with seeing his girlfriend than the Jazz, while promising to "treat this game as every other game."

As it happened, the two principals were on the floor together for only 10 seconds of the combined 24 minutes they played. Korver took the most advantage, scoring 14 points to Giricek's four, while Giricek took a hard foul from Mehmet Okur on a drive.

Korver did not play in the second half until 2:19 remained and the Jazz were about to blow a 10-point lead. His defensive hustle and free-throw shooting helped them escape, but this two-game combination of debuting with a new team and facing his old team was too much for him.

"I try to live a relatively drama-free life," he had explained with a smile after the morning shootaround. "But the last couple days, the emotions have been up and down quite a bit."

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* KURT KRAGTHORPE can be reached at kkragthorpe@sltrib.com. To write a letter about this or any sports topic, send an e-mail to sportseditor@sltrib.com.