By: George Torno
Twisted Minds secured their playoff berth after pulling off a reverse sweep against TNC Pro Team, 2-1, in the final week of MPL Philippines Season 16, Saturday at the Green Sun Hotel in Makati.
The victory ended the Minds’ four-game losing skid and officially made them the fourth team to qualify for the playoffs, surpassing both TNC and Smart Omega in the standings with a 6-8 record.
TNC opened the series with authority as Justine “Zaida” Palma (Hayabusa) spearheaded their assault, diving deep into the backlines to punish the Minds’ damage dealers.
The Phoenix Army capitalized on a chaotic 17th-minute Lord clash, where Frederic “Bennyqt” Gonzales’ (Wanwan) Crossbow of Tang turned the tides, leading to a 5-for-3 wipeout that sealed the first game.
In Game 2, TNC once again controlled the early phase, scoring two kills before the first Turtle fight.
However, Twisted Minds regrouped and flipped the momentum at the second Turtle, dominating neutral objectives as Miguel “Sionn” Alcantara (Kagura) and Caloy (Grock) dictated the tempo.
The duo’s control of the map enabled the team to secure an uncontested Lord and build a 9k gold lead by the 13-minute mark, forcing a series decider.
Riding their newfound momentum, Twisted Minds went all-out in Game 3. Caloy’s relentless Grock once again proved instrumental, constantly harassing and zoning out TNC’s formation.
By the 10-minute Lord siege, the Minds punished TNC’s unorthodox lineup, paving the way for a clean tower lock to complete the comeback.
With the win, Twisted Minds advance to the play-ins, where they will take the stage at the Cuneta Astrodome on October 22.
