Blacklist knocks out Minana EVOS in thriller to keep MPL PH Season 13 bid alive

In what turned out to be a tight affair, Blacklist International came out on top after weathering Minana EVOS, 3-2, in their knockout playoff clash on Wednesday in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Professional League (MPL) Philippines Season 13 at SM Southmall.

The Codebreakers survived the first of their two do-or-die matches today as they moved on to another knockout series against Fnatic Onic Philippines later. The winner of the next match advances to the upper bracket against defending champion Bren. 

They will have to play through fatigue though after figuring in a nail-biter against Minana. 

Already holding a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-five series, Blacklist was already at an advantage in Game 4, destroying seven turrets at the side of Minana. Gold laner Kiel "Oheb" Soriano (Moskov) even took the lord just before the 13th minute mark, but Minana was able to unleash the defense. 

Minana displayed a wild comeback with gold laner Jan "Domeng" del Mundo's double kills serving as the key play as they took down Blacklist's base for the equalizer. 

The former M3 world champions, however, leaned on midlaner Kenneth "Yue" Tadeo (Pharsa) as they took down the luminous lord before Oheb's pickoff against Brain "SpiderMilez" Santos set the stage for their last push to the base. 

Yue's perfect KDA propelled Blacklist to the victory after he unleashed five kills and four assists against no death. 

"Nag-scrim (scrimmage) kami and hindi na rin po kami nag-day off, tuloy-tuloy lang kami and dinedicate talaga namin 'yung two weeks para sa practice," jungler Stephen "Sensui" Castillo said on the two-week break since the end of the elimination round. 

(We had a scrimmage and we did not have a day off, we just continued and dedicated two weeks for practice.)

—JKC, GMA Integrated News