PHOENIX - Two games after beginning their holiday tour of the West, the Celtics still have their luggage. But they've lost their hold on first place.

In the last breath against the Suns last night, the Celts went from victory to defeat in a microsecond as Paul Pierce's trey from the right went halfway down before reversing course and slipping out, leaving the lads with an 84-82 loss and an 0-2 mark on the four-game trip.

Coupled with New Jersey's win at Detroit, the C's fell a game back in the Atlantic Division while scoring their season low. Pierce saved the Boston bacon for most of the evening, scoring 33 points - including 14 of the Celtics' 19 in the last quarter - but even he seemed powerless to defy the strange planetary alignment at America West Arena.

Pierce's masterpiece went for naught because Stephon Marbury buried a 22-footer over Kenny Anderson with two seconds left. That's the same Stephon Marbury who went up for the shot having made just 1-of-11 in the game. He finished with seven points.

``I was there, man, but it was the law of percentages,'' said Anderson. ``I guess he was due. I knew I had to bust my ass tonight and I did that. He just hit a big shot.''