Was Heat's foul on Jayson Tatum dirty? Celtics fans make something out of nothing

The Boston Celtics opened up what they hope will be a deep postseason run with a dominant wire-to-wire 114-94 victory over the No. 8 seed Miami Heat. But fans know they need superstar Jayson Tatum to stay healthy if the team is to reach their lofty expectations, which is why they are ready to break out the torches and pitchforks after Caleb Martin's late-game physical play.

Martin tries to crash the offensive glass on a missed mid-range jump shot by All-Star teammate Bam Adebayo, colliding into Tatum and causing what appears to be a scary fall on his backside. Luckily, the Celtics wing sprang back up immediately, and it was only deemed a loose ball foul. But that didn't stop Boston guard Jaylen Brown from stepping in and voicing his frustration with the play.

The two teams walked down to the other side of the court for Tatum to shoot free throws after the foul called on Martin, where he and Brown continued jawing at one another before each earning technical fouls.

Tatum is no worse for wear, and the Celtics kicked off the 2024 NBA Playoffs with a statement win against the team that eliminated them in the Eastern Conference Finals last season, starting the game on a 14-0 run and never looking back, leading by as many as 34 points. But you be the judge. Was the foul by Martin a dirty play? Or is it being blown out of proportion?

Was Heat's foul on Jayson Tatum dirty? Celtics fans believe so

After the game, Tatum downplayed the matter in his postgame interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters when asked about it: "I feel good. Playoff basketball, things happen. No reason to lay on the ground -- get up, move on to the next play," he said.

Tatum logged his first career playoff triple-double in Game 1 versus the Heat on Sunday, scoring 23 points (7-of-18 shooting) with 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals.