After losing to the Toronto Raptors last night at the FleetCenter, 91-89, the Celtics kissed the easy part of their schedule goodbye.

The C's then packed their bags for a five-game road trip that begins tonight in Washington. Included in the luggage compartment of the team plane was the added baggage of a three-game losing streak.

``We lost that last one here (to Atlanta on Wednesday) that we felt we should have won, and now we have to think about giving away this one,'' Celtics swingman Paul Pierce said. ``We're going to have to live with the fact that we had a shot to get out of the gates quickly during this part of the schedule, and we squandered it.