"Elton Brand was feeling sick with a stomach virus. He was sent home during the morning shootaround, armed with Pepto Bismol, prepared to do nothing but sleep and drink fluids.

At around 3 p.m., he got a text from Spencer Hawes, asking how he was feeling. When Hawes told him that he wasn't playing because of a strained left Achilles, Brand said, "All right, I'm definitely going.""