Boozer gets rude welcome in Utah return

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

SALT LAKE CITY — Carlos Boozer received a rude welcome when he was introduced Wednesday night before the Bulls played the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena, and the crowd booed every time he touched the ball for much of the game.

And, no, they weren’t saying, “Booz.”

Boozer, who had 14 points (6-for-16 shooting) and six rebounds, didn’t have his best game, but he was delighted the Bulls were able to pull out a 91-86 victory that snapped a two-game losing streak.

“Some of the shots I took I got fouled on, but they didn’t call them, so in this game, they weren’t fouls,” Boozer said. “So instead of me shooting free throws, it was a miss.

“In those games, you just have to keep playing through it. I thought I did a great job of fighting through all the drama and whatever was going on.

‘‘We’re a team, and everybody contributed, from one through 13.”

Despite the local fans’ opinion, his former coach with the Jazz had nothing but positive words for the Bulls forward.

‘‘I thought he was a terrific player,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. ‘‘I always did. When he came here, he was a very good passer, he could put the ball on the floor.

‘‘He sees what’s going on in the game, and when he gets around the basket, he rebounds the ball. He’s got terrific hands.”

The always-frank Sloan said a lot of the negative feelings toward Boozer stem from him missing 138 games in six seasons with the Jazz for a variety of injuries, none requiring surgery.

“The only thing that happened is people were on his butt because he didn’t play,” Sloan said.

“I never had a problem at all.’’

Welcome back

The other two members of the ‘‘Chicago Jazz’’ received warm receptions. Ronnie Brewer was cheered loudly when he entered the game in the first quarter.

Kyle Korver received roughly the same greeting when he entered in the second quarter.

Not everyone was happy to see Korver, though.

One young woman in the crowd held up a sign with the back of a Korver jersey with a red circle and slash through it.

The sign read, ‘‘You owe me $40.’’

Sloan a ‘real dude’

Boozer returned the praise for Sloan.

‘‘He’s one of those real dudes,’’ Boozer said. ‘‘So many people out there are fake. They say one thing to your face and another thing behind your back. Jerry wasn’t that way. . . .

‘‘[He’s] a great coach, a great friend and he’s one of those guys you could relate to because he was just a regular guy.

‘‘Even though he’s in the Hall of Fame, you wouldn’t know it if you met him on the street.’’