It wasn't clean by any means, but Longzhu Gaming remained undefeated by taking down bbq Olivers on Thursday with a 2-1 series win on Week 1, Day 3 of the League of Legends Champions Korea in Seoul, South Korea
Longzhu looked to impress in Game 1 as mid laner Gwak "Bdd" Bo-seong blind-picked Zed, showing off LZ's confidence after picking up a 2-0 victory over powerhouse KT Rolster on Tuesday. By playing with that confidence, Longzhu Gaming (2-0, 4-1 match record) secured first blood and first tower gold off of a well-timed gank, snowballing ahead. bbq Olivers (0-1, 1-2 match record) slowed the game down after falling early, but a series of cheeky plays by Longzhu led to two kills and a free Mountain Drake after the 20-minute mark. Longzhu looked unstoppable with its pick composition firing on all cylinders, taking a 5-for-2 teamfight victory and a Baron kill at 30 minutes before making quick work of the bbq base to go up 1-0 in the series.
Game 2 was a much tougher affair for Longzhu after a dominating Game 1, due to bbq being more proactive. The Olivers' oddball teamfighting composition worked surprisingly well early on,leading to a bbq lead before 20 minutes. Longzhu tried to claw back into the game during a mid-game lull, but a top lane teamfight led to a 4-for-0 victory for bbq which it turned into a free Baron kill. A desperate engage by Longzhu to pull back into the game near the 31-minute mark was turned by bbq AD carry Jang "Ghost" Yong-jun's Kalista, who led bbq with a 5/0/2 KDA (kills/deaths/assists) as the Olivers evened out the series at 1-1.
In the early stages of Game 3, Longzhu earned a modest gold lead through farm advantages and kills. Longzhu jungler Moon "Cuzz" Woo-chan's Zac is what really set Longzhu up for success, as the often-banned jungle pick offered tons of utility, crowd control, and tankiness for the team. After Longzhu really pulled ahead of the game by winning a 3-for-0 teamfight 25-minutes into the game, Longzhu began methodically cracking open bbq's base as its strong early game comp scaled well into the late game. Smelling blood in the water, Cuzz picked out two bbq members in the mid lane at 37 minutes, guiding his team to a 2-1 series victory.
Longzhu continues its win streak on Wednesday, June 7 at 8 a.m ET in a highly anticipated match against SK Telecom, while bbq Olivers will face SKT this Sunday at 8 a.m ET