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I May needed a win on Saturday to secure a playoff seed, and a dramatic 2-1 series win over Royal Never Give Up gave it just that during Week 10, Day 3 of the League of Legends Pro League in Shanghai.
I May (8-8, 18-21 match record) fought to keep its playoff hopes alive with aplomb in Game 1, despite giving up first blood around nine minutes. With the pace reduced to a slow crawl in the mid game, I May held a 2-1 kill lead at 22 minutes, which did little to build a substantial gold lead as RNG AD carry Jian "Uzi" Zi-Hao held as much as an 80 CS (creep score) lead as Ashe over his IM counterpart at 27 minutes. Undeterred, I May finally took control with an incredible 37-minute Baron steal by top laner Shek "AmazingJ" Wai Ho's Gangplank, who dealt a game-high 27,500 damage in addition to picking up this game-swinging Baron steal. Securing an Elder Dragon shortly afterwards, I May took Game 1 on the back of mid laner Kang "Athena" Ha-woon's Orianna, who finished with a 5/0/1 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) for 86 percent kill participation in the 41-minute win.
Seemingly unshaken by its previous loss, Royal Never Give Up (12-4, 26-13 match record) came roaring back in Game 2 as Jungler Liu "Mlxg" Shi-Yu picked up first blood at just over a minute into the game as Rengar in the top lane. RNG returned to the top lane often, picking up three kills and first tower gold by 11 minutes. A 3-for-0 fight in the bottom lane gave Uzi's Kog'Maw all the resources he needed to become a hyper-carry nightmare, as his double kill in a 3-for-0 fight at 27 minutes gave RNG a free Baron kill. Using the buff to push into I May's base and take a 5-for-0 ace. It wasn't a perfect game, as IM picked up an early Infernal Drake, but that was all IM could achieve as top laner Yan "Letme" Jun-Ze's Kled picked up a 6/0/8 KDA for 88 percent kill participation in a dominating Game 2 win.
Playoff hopes on the line, I May came back with a vengeance in Game 3, with IM picking on RNG's bot lane in the early game. Athena's Twisted Fate pick was crucial to I May's success, as he used his Destiny/Gate to keep Uzi's Lucian down through repeated ganks. After a lull in the mid game, I May seized its fate and the game with a 2-for-0 fight and Baron kill. I May's potent pick composition was led by support Yun "Road" Han-gil's Thresh, who landed Death Sentence after Death Sentence en route to a 1/0/10 KDA for 79 percent kill participation. With a few picks around RNG's base, I May forced a final teamfight, winning it 4-for-0 and punching its ticket to playoffs with a 2-1 series win.
With the series win, I May earns its spot in the League of Legends Pro League playoffs at the #4 seed from Group A, while RNG holds onto its #1 seed despite the loss.