Today’s game of the day was a battle between third vs. seventh place on the LPL table, and with not much separating eStar (ES) and JD Gaming (JDG) in the odds.

Game 1

ES: Xiaobai (Renekton), Wai (Trundle), Cryin (Azir), Wink (Aphelios), ShiauC (Janna)

JDG: Zoom (Ornn), Kanavi (Kindred), Yagao (Corki), LokeN (Kalista), LvMao (Taric)

It was a close and tense early game for both teams, with the kill lead being 6-5 in ES’ favor after 10 minutes. The gold was close too, with a 500 gold lead for JDG. Both teams got a dragon each in the early game as well.

Things stayed relatively quiet for the next few minutes, with no more kills but with JDG grabbing a 1K golad lead by the 12^th minute.

JDG pulled through with a 6-7 kill lead after a 4v2 fight broke out in the 14^th minute, and Zoom also helped take down the first tower in the top lane at the same time.

A 3v2 broke out in the bot late in the 15^th minute, which then turned into a 4v4 that was won by ESX. They retook the kill lead at 10-9.

JDG recovered decently after this, though, grabbing their second dragon of the game. They managed to increase their gold lead to 1.5K as well. By the 18^th minute, they had also taken down ES’s Tier 1 tower in the bottom lane.

Though still behind 10-9 in the kill boards, JDG had good control of the map, having taken down all three outer turrets by the 21^st minute and amassing a 2K gold lead.

ES picked up their second dragon the 21^st minute, giving both teams a pair. A big team fight almost broke out, but both teams decided against it.

ES also took down their opponents T1 bottom lane tower in the 23^rd minute.

JDG started on the Baron in the 25^th minute and were successful, and then won a big fight right after, taking down Xiaobai, Wei, and Cryin. At this point, they had a 5.5K gold lead and the 12-10 kill lead.

They followed up by taking down the mid lane inhibitor as well, and ESX’s T2 tower in the top lane. JDG deleted all of ES in the 28^th minute. Zoom and LvMao, the survivors of that big melee, couldn’t be pushed out of the base before finishing the game off for JDG, who ended with an 18-13 kill lead and a 9K gold lead.

Zoom (6/4/5) and Yagao (3/2/8) had over 19Kdamage for JDG. Kanavi also had a strong showing finishing 8/4/7.

Game 2

ES: Xiaobai (Ornn), Wai (Lee Sin), Cryin (Rumble), Wink (Varus), ShiauC (Janna)

JDG: Zoom (Sett), Kanavi (Sylas), Yagao (Azir), LokeN (Kalista), LvMao (Taric)

JDG switched to the blue side for game 2, hoping to carry on their momentum.

Wink and ShiauC’s Varus and Janna Combo caused pressure on the bottom lane early on, getting the better of LokeN and LvMao and forcing them backwards.

It was a more cautious game for both sides, with 0 kills across the board by the sixth minute. ES took the first objective of the game just before the seventh minute, grabbing the first dragon.

A 3v3 broke out in the eighth minute and Xiabai was the first casualty of the game, giving JDG a 1-0 lead. ES also grabbed the first herald of the game during this period too. Xiaobai fell again, but LvMao also went down for JDG making the score 2-1 in the first minute.

Both teams traded a tower in the ninth minute as well, with ES taking down a top lane turret and JDG taking down one in the bottom lane.

In the tenth minute, JDG held a 1K gold advantage along with their 2-1 kill lead.

Zoom made a big mistake and overextended in the bottom lane in the 11^th minute, running into a 3v1 and getting quickly taken down while also opening up the bottom T1 turret for ES to take down along with tying the kills at 2-2 and evening out the gold.

JDG went for the second dragon in the 12^th minute, and ES chose not to challenge.

Zoom went down in the 14^th minute to give ES a 3-2 kill lead. A 5v5 broke out shortly after, but only one casualty came out of the drawn out fight thanks to timely healing. Kanavi went down for JDG, giving ES a 4-2 kill lead and the 1K gold lead.

It was clear that ES were more in sync in the second game. They took another dragon in the 18^th minute and started to look more confident as they took down the T1 turret in the bottom lane. Xiaobai was also having a stronger game after struggling in the first.

The next big fight game in the 22^nd minute, a 5v5 that again didn’t end up with a lot of casualties. Like a high-level boxing match, you could see both side bobbing and weaving and waiting for the rightcounter punch. However, the fight extended toward the dragon, and ES were able to take their third dragon of the game. They took down LvMao shortly after that for a 5-2 kill lead, and a 2K gold lead.

This forced JDG to make a push for Baron, which they were able to do. Xiaobai  was taken down, but the rest of ES deleted all of JDG for a 10-5 kill lead.ES also took down the T2 turret in the mid lane.

Xiaobai again went down in the 26^th minute, and they baited Wei into overextending to cut the ES kill lead to 10-7.

Another skirmish happened in the 28^th minute, but neither team could claim a kill. JDG pushed for the dragon again, and were able to do it, then were able to take down Wei, Cryin, and Xiaobai to tie the kill score at 10-10, flipped the gold lead to 2K for themselves, and also claim the T2 turret in the mid lane. That was a masterful fight and sucked the wind out of ES.

Another 5v5 broke out as JDG went for their second baron, with JDG taking down Xiaobai and Cryin while only loving Kanavi for a 12-11 lead.

The fight continued on to the top lane, and ShiauC wasn’t able to survive the chase for a 13-11 JDG advantage. JDG then took their second Baron in the 33^rd minute.

JDG were the aggressors in the 34^th minute and saw all but Xiaobai go down for a 17-11 kill lead for JDG, and a 7K gold lead. JDG pushed hard, taking down all three inhibitors, and JDG finished it off with a 22-12 kill lead and a 9K gold lead.

What a turnaround in that second game for JDG, who looked like they had lost control to ES during the mid-game.

Zoom was named MVP with a 2/4/11 performance, but Kanavi (8/3/8), Yagao (6/1/8), LokeN (6/1/10), and LvMao (0/3/19) all did their part in that come-from-behind victory.