After a dominant performance over the superteam in the final weeks of the regular season, JD Gaming has surpassed LNG Esports in the 2022 LPL Spring Split standings.
With the split coming to an end, the games between the playoff-bound teams have continued to be marquee matchups in terms of the overall standings—and today was no exception. Both JDG and LNG were in the same ballpark, hovering around the sixth and seventh place seeds. And today, it was JDG who triumphed over LNG thanks to their teamfighting prowess.
Both games followed a similar pattern, with LNG holding a slight 3,000 gold advantage over JDG for the majority of the game. And just when it looked like LNG was going to run away with the game, JDG would come out on top with a team fight that snowballed the game.
JDG’s 369 in particular was the series’ star, winning the MVP award in both games on Gragas and Malphite. Most notably, he led the entire game one in damage dealt with 23,000, nearly 10,000 more than teammate Yagao’s 15,000 on Viktor.
His ability to peel for the team’s main carries was critical in the late-game team fights that ultimately won the game and, ultimately, the series for JDG.
Nobody knows what is going on with LNG, but whatever problems they are experiencing cannot be good. LNG started the split as the undisputed best LPL team and one of the top three teams in the world. Moreover, unlike EDward Gaming, which had an easier schedule, LNG had a good mix of strong teams to play against.
However, they have only won one series since their loss to Royal Never Give Up in week five, against the 16th-placed ThunderTalk Gaming. LNG has fallen further and further down the standings, to seventh place, a position that once seemed unattainable for the LPL team.
While LNG’s cold streak can be attributed to a strength of schedule, which included only losing to teams in the LPL’s top six, it does not bode well for their playoff chances.
LNG’s next game against LGD Gaming is a must-win if they want to reclaim a spot in the top six and earn a bye in the playoffs. This match against LGD will take place on March 12, and LNG will be looking for their ninth win of the season.