DRX beat KT Rolster in 3 games with help from their LCK CL team

DRX took down KT Rolster today in week four of the 2022 LCK Spring Split, playing with assistance from the organization’s LCK CL team. They improve to 4-3 on the season and temporarily hold possession of third place in the split.

Aside from T1, who sit atop the standings undefeated, the 2022 LCK Spring Split has proven to be a competitive one since the four remaining playoff teams all shared a 3-3 record before today. 

For two of these playoff-positioned teams, KT and DRX, this game was a battle to gain ground in the LCK standings. In such a pivotal matchup, KT looked to battle the star-studded DRX lineup. Instead, they found themselves down 1-0 in the series to DRX’s LCK CL team.

DRX entered game one with AD carry Deft and the org’s LCK CL players. Mid laner Setab immediately made an impact, finding a solo kill onto KT mid laner Aria.

After that impressive solo kill, KT bounced back. KT jungler Cuzz found kills early on and secured a dragon lead. Still, at the 20-minute mark, the gold difference was close. KT had the dragon advantage while DRX had the favorable teamfight composition for the later stages of the game.

With the game still close, DRX jungler Peach landed a clutch kick onto KT ADC Aiming, which ended the game once and for all before the 30-minute mark.

DRX then swapped out its LCK CL dominant lineup for its primary roster, looking to end the series in game two. The second game began slower than the first but eventually ramped up to be one of the most chaotic games of the split.

The game was relatively even at the 20-minute mark, only decipherable by a slight tempo and dragon advantage to DRX.

DRX secured another dragon, but KT won the overall teamfight and pathed toward the Baron. As they were about to secure the game-shifting objective, DRX jungler Pyosik stole the Baron and the advantage continued to snowball in favor of DRX. 

After this, KT attempted to find a pick onto Deft, but the veteran ADC showed off his reflexes and he flashed away from the initial engagement. DRX won the fight around the dragon pit and grabbed the Infernal Dragon Soul shortly after.

Even though DRX were down in kills, their gold lead had ballooned to 6,000 over KT and Deft was in a prime position to carry the late game. KT attempted to defend their base and then sneakily grabbed a Baron onto three members, which stalled the game. 

DRX were positioned for one final fight around the Elder Dragon but KT attempted to find an engagement onto DRX. And as DRX was winning the fight, Cuzz stole the Elder Dragon, which shifted the advantage to KT for the fight.

KT bounced back from their initial 6,000 gold deficit and turned it into a slight lead as they regained map control at the 37-minute mark. The tempo then shifted to DRX when they grabbed the Baron and were in a position to win if they secured the Elder Dragon. 

Instead, KT ADC Aiming found a pivotal engagement onto DRX’s primary carries and KT became the team in control with a 12-kill Zeri. And a few moments later, KT stole a win with a backdoor play, forcing the series to a third game.

While there were no kills to start the third game, DRX obtained an early 1,000 gold lead solely off laning advantages from DRX’s Deft and Zeka. First blood came at 10 minutes over a fight for Rift Herald, where KT Rascal grabbed the kill gold. But DRX top laner Kingen answered back by killing Aiming. 

Both teams battled evenly, but shades of KT’s 2021 lineup showed as they looked lost in the mid-game macro after they were pushed out of the Hextech Dragon pit. 

Eventually, KT began to slowly lose the game while DRX’s composition scaled up. Cuzz was unable to find any engagements on the Diana and DRX finally closed out the series. Deft was named the player of the series after he played an important part in all three of DRX’s games.

With this win, DRX have gained sole possession of third place in the 2022 LCK Spring Split, while KT fall to sixth. For DRX, this victory showed the potential of its promising LCK CL lineup, who are currently 13-1 and have sole possession of first in the secondary league. 

For KT, the roller coaster of inconsistency has continued after losing a series they were favored to win. They now sit at a 3-4 record and will look to climb back in the race for playoff seeding against Fredit Brion on Sunday, Feb. 13.

The 2022 LCK Spring Split will continue tomorrow, Feb. 10, when DWG KIA take on Kwangdong Freecs followed by a matchup between Gen.G and Liiv SANDBOX.