Nexplay Evos stamped its class all over RSG Philippines, pulling off a clean 3-0 sweep to arrange a second-round duel with Onic Philippines in the MPL Philippines playoffs on Thursday, October 21.
A disciplined NXPE side showed up in the best-of-five series as it fended off numerous rallies from RSG with clutch plays in the late game. Johnwin “Hesa” Vergara didn’t look like a rookie as he displayed his poise on his gold lane Natan in all of the three games to provide NXPE the late game dominance.
Hesa put up a series-long brilliance, finishing with a clean 2-0-8 KDA and 4-1-7 in Games 1 and 2 before giving NXPE the much-needed lift in the final clash of third game with another perfect performance of 5-0-7.
RSG was comfortably ahead in Game 3 but just couldn’t break NXPE’s last line defense. They also had opportunities to take the Lord but efforts from Hesa who stole the Lord from RSG’s hand twice in Game 3 stalled the game for Nexplay.
A split push in the top lane from John Paul “H2wo’s Salonga’s Paquito and Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera’s Barats triggered the final clash. Five players from RSG responded to take down the two but they were sandwiched by NXP as Hesa freely dished out the damage from a safe distance for a four-man wipe of RSG.
H2wo took the MVP honors with a 6-3-6 performance on the Paquito as NXP ended the series with a 16-14 comeback to end the series in a dramatic fashion and set up an upper bracket duel against Onic.
It was a wire-to-wire win for NXPE in Game 1 as Coach John Michael “Zico” Dizon visibly outdrafted RSG’s Coach Brian “Panda” Lim. The Jawhead-Eudora pick rendered RSG’s Kimmy-Rafa combo useless while allowing H2wo’s Yi Sun-Shin to control the game and end the opener with an 11-5 tally. Game MVP Yawi on his Jawhead finished with 0-0-9 KDA to set the tone for NXPE.
RSG managed to make its composition built around on Christian “Iy4knu” Manaog’s Kimmy work in Game 2. The men in blue-and-white embarked to a comfortable lead with Iy4knu and Demonkite’s jungle Paquito leading the charge for the team.
They also had the chance to tie the series but a clutch base defense and a take down on EJ “Heath” Esperanza’s Ruby at the 18-minute mark allowed NXPE to trigger a comeback. Nexplay then only needed one more clutch play from Yawi’s Khufra to pick off Iy4knu’s Kimmy to end Game 2 with a 12-12 tally and take a commanding 2-0 lead.
Hesa was hailed Game 2 MVP.