TOP Esports has climbed the LPL 2022 Spring Split pantheon after defeating Bilibili Gaming to improve to 7-4 and tie for sixth place with Bilibili.
For the first six weeks of the LPL 2022 Spring Split, the top six teams were unaffected by the standings. While there were a few upsets for the top six, there was never a time when you felt like their position could be jeopardized or surpassed by one of the teams below them.
That is, until TOP Esports, who was 2-4 in the standings at one point, decided to start winning. TOP has steadily climbed the standings since then, all the way up to their matchup against Bilibili Gaming, where a win would tie them for a spot in the top six.
With their win streak in jeopardy following a game-one loss, TOP Esports rebounded in the next two games. TOP’s top laner Wayward stood out on Gwen in TOP’s 28-minute victory in game two. His flawless play gave TOP jungler Tian a lane to play around while Jackeylove’s Jinx scaled up for the late game.
All eyes were on Knight’s ability to create plays around the map for his side lanes on the Ryze pick in the final game. His performance aided Jackeylove’s Jinx in eventually scaling up to the point where the AD carry could dominate the late-game and cap off their 28-minute victory with a 10/1/6 scoreline.
TOP is now one of the LPL’s hottest teams and a legitimate contender for a deep run in the upcoming LPL 2022 Spring Split Playoffs. Tied for sixth, they now have a chance to break through the previously impenetrable top six and avoid the preliminary knockout stages.
In the final match of week seven on March 6, they will look to extend their winning streak to six series wins against the struggling LNG Esports.
Bilibili, on the other hand, is in the unenviable position of potentially losing their top six ranking, which they have held for the entirety of the LPL 2022 Spring Split. On March 4, they will try to maintain their position against FunPlus Phoenix, who are on a five-series losing streak.