Robbins writes:

But the illness also has taken a toll. Lewis revealed today that he missed the Magic’s shootaround prior to Game 2 because he had to go to a doctor and receive an IV. He also acknowledged that the virus affected him in Game 3.

Lewis said, “I feel like my body shut down on me in Game 3 out there in Boston and [was] a little bit better in Game 4 just because of the fact that I was able to get some IVs right before the game.”

When asked if he would’ve played in the regular season with the illness, Lewis responded, “In the regular season, I probably would’ve sat out. But not to make no excuses, it is the playoffs, and you’ve got to just go out there and give it 100 percent. It’s the playoffs, so I’ve got to get out there and drag myself out there at some point.”

Lewis’ illness seems plausible considering how poorly he has played in the series. At the same time, Lewis seems to be using the flu as an excuse for his poor play. Lewis is a former All-Star who is currently under contract for $126 million. At this stage of the playoffs, almost everybody is banged up. Michael Jordan certainly never used the flu as an excuse. In the playoffs, players just have to suck it up and continue to play as hard they can, for as long as they can.