Joe Mazzulla surely did not like the sight of Jayson Tatum tumbling awkwardly to the court in garbage time of the Celtics’ playoff-opening victory.

But Boston’s response? Mazzulla loved that.

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With less than a minute remaining in Sunday’s 114-94 win over the Heat at TD Garden, Tatum was upended by Miami’s Caleb Martin while he corralled a rebound. Tatum quickly jumped to his feet, and as he walked toward the opposite basket, teammates Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis swooped in to accost Martin.

The ensuing scuffle lasted just a few seconds, but it resulted in a double technical foul on Martin and Brown. It also delighted the packed Garden crowd, which was boisterous throughout the afternoon blowout.

Mazzulla’s take?

“I was just waiting to see what (Tatum) was going to do,” the Celtics head coach said postgame. “I was excited about the whole situation. I enjoyed watching it.”

Mazzulla added that Tatum was “fine” after his fall. The five-time All-Star remained in the game and made both of his free throws, then sank two more to close out the Celtics’ Game 1 victory. Tatum paced Boston in points (23), rebounds (10) and assists (10) in the win, notching the first postseason triple-double of his NBA career despite going 1-for-8 from 3-point range.

“His mindset and approach to the game was great,” Mazzulla said. “I feel like he played with great patience. He picked and chose his spots very well. He took what the defense gave him and found a balance of creating for himself and for others. That discipline on the offensive end — and both ends of the court, really — is a huge key to the series.”

Tatum and the Celtics, who lost to Miami in the Eastern Conference finals in two of the last four postseasons, will look to take a 2-0 series lead Wednesday night at TD Garden.