TSM and Cloud9 have been on opposite trajectories throughout this year’s LCS Spring Split. And today, first-place C9 faced off with last-place TSM in one of the most lopsided games of the season. Shockingly enough, however, it was TSM who controlled the game with a vice grip, dominating C9 at every stage of the contest. 

Less than 24 hours before today’s game began, TSM fired one of its League of Legends coaches Peter Zhang due to “very serious allegations of conflict of interest and unethical practices.” Still, the shakeup in personnel seemed to have no negative effect on the team’s on-stage abilities, and TSM earned a statement win following the controversy. 

Despite the two teams having mirrored win-loss records coming into the game—Cloud9’s 11-2 record was diametrically opposed to TSM’s 2-11 record—the struggling TSM still found a way to thoroughly defeat C9. The last time these two teams faced off in week three, C9 found themselves on the ropes for a strong majority of that game before miraculously pulling off a comeback over TSM. Today, TSM kept their foot on the gas until C9’s Nexus toppled over. 

In today’s rematch, TSM found a strong amount of influence from reigning LCS MVP Spica in the jungle, whose 5/1/15 scoreline on the day helped propel TSM to victory. Spica participated in 20 of TSM’s 22 kills against Cloud9 while helping secure four of the five dragons during the game for TSM. 

25 minutes into today’s game, TSM held a gold lead of over 4,000. And even though C9 stole a late-game Baron buff from right under TSM, the underdogs remained stalwart, continuing to push their advantage by picking off C9 players in their own jungle one by one to push the game out of reach for the league’s first-place squad. 

Coming into the game, Cloud9 had been riding an eight-game winning streak, defeating Team Liquid in their most recent contest to lock up a playoff berth. With this loss and Liquid’s win earlier in the day, the top of the LCS table has shifted back to a deadlock. 

Although TSM still have sole possession of the last place in the LCS, games against fellow struggling squads Immortals and CLG stand out as opportunities to move up the table before the Spring Split comes to a close.

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