Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has struggled mightily in the first two games of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Toronto Raptors.

The two-time All-Star only managed to score 16 points in Game 1 and 12 points in Game 2, way below his season average of 27.5 points per contest and 24.8 points per game in the first round. Embiid said it has something to do with Raptors center Marc Gasol's defense, which he praised ahead of Game 3 in Philadelphia:

Although Gasol's best years are already behind him, he's still a capable defender, and guarding Embiid is his main assignment versus the Sixers. So far, Gasol has done a great job of limiting the younger, more athletic Embiid.

The Raptors acquired Gasol back in February in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, and he has been able to help the team in terms of defense, rebounding, and passing. His contributions might not be as great as that of frontcourt buddies Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam, but he's still a dependable big man the Raptors can rely on.

Joel Embiid, on the other hand, will look to bounce back in Game 3 on Thursday, as the Sixers will try to protect home-court advantage. Aside from Gasol's defense, JoJo will also have to continue to deal with his knee injury, which has been bothering him since the end of the regular season. He also dealt with the stomach flu for Game 2. His offense will be crucial if the Sixers want to gain the upper hand in the series.