ESPORTS

NXP catapults to 3rd place after sweeping TNC in MPL PH S8

Nexplay Evos is on the way to securing their best-ever finish in franchise history after they swept TNC, 2-0, in the penultimate week of the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 8 on Sunday.

They had finished in a tie for 7th-8th place for the past two seasons but now have a fighting chance of finishing in the upper half of the regular season, with 18 points so far, good for 3rd place, going into the final week of regular season.

It looked like it was TNC's for the taking early in Game 1 after they established a 2k gold lead by the 3rd minute off a Patrick “P-God” Grecia (Mathilda) double kill that they extended into a 6-0 6th minute kill lead along with a 4k gold lead. P-God was already with a 2-0-4 KDA at that point.

But a 3-1 exchange in favor of NXPE in the 10th minute led to a lord take as the fan-favorites trimmed a 6k gold lead down to 2k.

NXPE continued with their resurgence as their late-game tailored draft was just too much, culminating in a 4-0 wipe in the 20th minute, spearheaded by John Paul “H2wo” Salonga's (Natan) triple kill, putting NXPE ahead, 1-0.

TNC once again controlled the early game in Game 2 as Daniel “Chuuu” Chu (Hayabusa) took a 2-0-0 KDA by the 4th minute to help his team take a 2k gold lead and a 3-0 kill spread.

But a 2-0 NXPE retaliation in the 8th minute, including a shutdown on Chuu shutdown, helped them to equalize on the gold.

A much-needed pick off in the 12th minute then enabled NXPE to take the luminous lord and it was theirs for the taking from then on until a 4-1 wipe in the 24th minute finally put the game away for the sweep.

MPL veteran Jeniel “YellyHaze” Bata-anon (Pharsa) led the way for NXPE in the decider with a 7-2-10 KDA. Tristan “Yawi” Cabrera (Jawhead) also provided crucial initiations leading to pickoffs as he compiled a 1-7-14 KDA.

TNC is on the verge of elimination and are now-pressed to sweep their remaining matches to get a shot at qualifying for the playoffs with 11 pts going against Omega Esports and Onic Philippines in the final week of regular season.

—JMB, GMA News