RECAP | BOX SCORE | GAME FLOW

CHICAGO (AP) _ It was almost like the old days, with the United Center fans screaming, yelling and cheering their loudest when Toni Kukoc was introduced.

Almost, but not quite. Seeing Kukoc in that blue uniform with "Sixers" on the front is going to take some getting used to.

Less than three weeks after he was traded to Philadelphia, Kukoc made his first trip back to Chicago on Saturday. Forget any weepy nostalgia on his part, though. Making his first start with the 76ers, Kukoc scored 11 points and had five assists and rebounds in 32 minutes as his new team beat his old team 95-84.

When the game ended, Kukoc and Randy Brown, his closest friend on the Bulls, hugged at half-court. Fans stayed to watch Kukoc leave the floor.

Allen Iverson, playing with a sore right rotator cuff, led the 76ers with 29 points. Theo Ratliff added 21 points and 13 rebounds while Eric Snow had 14 assists.

Ron Artest, guarded by Kukoc most of the night, led the Bulls with 18, and Matt Maloney added 17 on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range.

The 76ers couldn't shake the Bulls until midway through the third quarter, when Ratliff's dunk with 6:44 left started a 9-0 run that broke the game open. Chicago got back to 69-61 on Chris Anstey's layup with 1:59 left in the third, but Eric Snow hit a 13-foot jumper and Iverson made a 3-pointer and Chicago never threatened again.

Lured to the United States in 1993, Kukoc had, until last month, spent his entire 6 1/2-year NBA career with the Bulls. The Croatia native helped Chicago win its last three championships and won the NBA's Sixth Man award after the 1995-96 season.

When Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson and Scottie Pippen hightailed it out of town, Kukoc was the only key piece left from the dynasty days.

That's a lot of history in one city, and everyone seemed happy to have Kukoc back, if only for a day. About half of the fans stood when Kukoc was introduced, and several carried signs welcoming him back.

Kukoc smiled at the cheers, and laughed with his old teammates as they waited for the ball to get tossed up. When the rookie Artest launched a 20-foot jumper over Kukoc's head to open the game, the two ran back down the court laughing and talking.

During the first timeout, the Bulls showed a video tribute to Kukoc on the Jumbotron above the floor. With the Foo Fighters' "My Hero" cranking on the arena's sound system and "Thanks Toni!" on half of the screens, fans got a video tour of Kukoc's time in Chicago. There was a shot of him with Pippen. Another of him holding a championship trophy. One of him dunking.

As the tribute ended, the crowd gave him another loud ovation.

Despite the lovefest, though, memories can be short when it comes to professional sports these days. One fan held up a sign reading, "We'll all miss you, Tony." And the Bulls statistics crew, who kept track of everything he did for six-plus years, listed him as "Tony Kukoc" on the first-quarter stat sheet.

Notes: Chicago Bears coach Dick Jauron was at the game, sitting courtside. ... Saturday's game was the first on NBC this season for the Bulls, who were on national television practically every week in the Jordan Era. ... John Starks, who wants to be released so he can sign with a playoff contender, sat out his fourth game with tendinitis. He won't play until a grievance arbitrator decides his case, coach Tim Floyd said.