The last time Joel Embiid and Marc Gasol stood across from each other before Monday, Gasol was consoling the Philadelphia 76ers’ star centre. The Toronto Raptors had just won Game 7 thanks to Kawhi Leonard’s legendary quadruple-bounce shot, and Embiid was emotional. Gasol, a kind person and experienced vet, took a moment to offer some encouragement and perspective. The Raptors were on their way to a championship, but Embiid and the Sixers had a bright future ahead.



That is still true. On Monday, though, there was little consoling to be done.



While Gasol might not have a mean cell in his body, he has a mean streak to his defence, and it left Embiid just as frustrated as he was throughout the second round of the playoffs last year. Gasol took his lockdown of the perennial MVP candidate to another level entirely Monday. By the end of the game, Embiid had played 32 scoreless minutes. It was the first time he’d ever scored fewer than five points, with the...