What?s an NBA playoff series without a little trash talk?  

 Usually, it takes a couple of games in a series for bad blood to develop between playoff foes; a feeling out process if you will.  But not so in the case of the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls.

 Even before the rivals ? remember, the Bulls and Wizards have a history dating back to the pre-season, in which an all-out brawl broke out between the teams during an exhibition game at the United Center on Oct. 25 ? tipped off their series last Sunday, the cheap shots were flowing, particularly from Wizards All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas.

 Arenas accused some of the Bulls players as being dirty, including rookie Andres Nocioni, who all season long has agitated opponents with his tenacious defense.  

 ?We know it?s going to be physical.  We know they?ve got a couple of dirty players,? Arenas said before Game One.  ?We?ve been watching tape on them.  There?s nothing you can do ? just go out and play your game.?

 Apparently not, as Arenas showed signs of nervousness in the opener, settling for mostly long-range jump shots and finishing with only 9 points on 3-of-19 shooting.  Nocioni, meanwhile, was his usual scrappy self, finishing with 25 points and a game-high 18 rebounds while holding Antawn Jamison to a mere 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting.

 You would think Jamison, who was thoroughly outplayed by his counterpart Nocioni at both ends of the court, would be a little more complimentary of the rookie from Argentina.  

 Not so. Jamison downplayed Nocioni?s career-high performance following Game One as nothing more than a gift-wrapped present care of the Wizards franchise.

 ?Happy birthday.  That?s all I?ve got to say,? Jamison said.  ?It was a present.  We?re going to make him keep beating us.  If he can keep doing that, I?ll give it to him.?

 ?Hey, he was feeling it.  He was yelling and clapping and rebounding and shooting shots.  I applaud him.  Happy birthday.?

 Jamison?s diatribe was as comical as it was derogatory.   But hey, par for the course when talking about the Wizards? lack of respect for the Bulls thus far in the series ? a series which has the Bulls up by a commanding 2-0 margin after Wednesday?s 113-103 win in Game Two.  

 On paper, it would appear this series is a mismatch in favor of Washington.  The Wizards boast the All-Stars; the Wizards boast three 20 point-a-night scorers in Jamison, Arenas and Larry Hughes.   The Bulls have no All-Stars and are without their best low-post player in center Eddy Curry and perimeter defender in Luol Deng for the playoffs.  Yet all season long, Chicago has been a team measured not by how much talent they have on paper but the intangibles - particularly great defense and solid depth - they bring to the court on a nightly basis.  And that has been the difference in the series thus far.

 ?When you look at the first game, I think the story was Ben and Nocioni, and so they were the focus heading into Game Two,? said Antonio Davis, who finished with 18 points in 29 minutes Wednesday. ?So what happened was we hit them with something else in this game.  And from there, they?ll go back to the drawing board, and hopefully we?ll hit them with yet something else in the next game.?

 With the focus on Nocioni after Game One, it was Kirk Hinrich?s turn to shine.  Hinrich led the Bulls with 34 points on 12-of-15 shooting (5-of-5 from beyond the arc) despite playing only 25 minutes because of early foul trouble.  Chicago?s bench also was a difference maker, outscoring Washington?s bench by a commanding 29-11 margin.

 As for all the trash talk the Wizards have been tossing around in the series?

 ?Guys are not going to get caught up in all that and talk crazy,? Davis added.  ?We?re professionals.  We?re going to talk like professionals and act like professionals.  We respect that team.  We?re not into playing games.  We?re about playing basketball.?

 Indeed they are.  Chicago is in the driver?s seat right now because they have been doing their talking out on the court and not through the media.  Perhaps now that the Wizards are heading back home down 0-2, they?ll learn to do the same thing and make this a series.  

Kostas.Bolos@realgm.com