As the LCS kicks off the second half of the 2021 Spring Split, TSM and Team Liquid treated viewers to an exciting 40-minute match that must have felt like a roller coaster for fans of both teams. At the end of the day, though, TSM stood tall behind a great comeback performance.
As many people expected, Liquid played through their powerful bottom lane duo early and often this match. And for a bit, it seemed like it would lead into a much-needed victory. By relying on Tristana as one of their only consistent damage dealers, Santorin was able to link up with Tactical and CoreJJ for an early first blood, and the ball started rolling quickly.
The game quickly became messy from both ends from a macro and teamfighting perspective, however. Whether it was Tactical getting caught out twice by PowerOfEvil’s Syndra or TSM on the wrong end of a teamfight, these two top squads didn’t look clean at all.
Unfortunately for Liquid fans, every time their team would find an opening, TSM clawed their way back into the game. At 36 minutes, a clutch Baron steal from Spica and PowerOfEvil effectively secured the win for TSM.
This win should be a huge momentum boost for TSM, who is coming off of a 2-1 weekend. They’ve solidified themselves as the second-best team in the LCS behind Cloud9, and they are looking to keep themselves high in the standings as the season starts to close.
Meanwhile, Team Liquid has continued to struggle with consistency. With a 5-5 record, this highly-touted roster has failed to meet expectations from both fans and analysts alike. Their focus on the bottom side of the map is good, but key mistakes have cost them time and time again. They need to tighten up their play from multiple angles if they want to head into the playoffs with enough steam to reach the finals.
They’ll look to bounce back again when they face off against FlyQuest and Immortals later this weekend.
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