Ninjas in Pyjamas Secures Victory at ESL One Los Angeles Online
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Both Ninjas in Pyjamas and Alliance had a lot at stake in the ESL One Los Angeles Online. Despite dealing with multiple last-minute stand-ins, NiP’s consistent drafting, led by ppd, helped them secure a significant win.
Alliance struggled with the new leadership of s4, who recently rejoined the team. Meanwhile, NiP capitalized on Jason “TANNER” Weedon and Nikita “Daxak” Kuzmin’s performances.
The first game was chaotic from the start, with S4’s unconventional lineup struggling against NiP’s strong drafts. NiP’s stand-in, Blizzy, performed exceptionally well on Axe, shutting down Alliance’s core game.
Alliance’s lineup couldn’t keep up, managing only three kills and surrendering after losing Roshan and multiple teamfights.
Alliance regrouped in the second game, focusing on countering NiP’s key players and limiting ppd’s impact. Limp and Nikiolay “Nikobaby” Nikolov played crucial roles, dealing significant damage while staying elusive.
In addition, Andreas Per “Xibbe” Ragnemalm joined the team, replacing the substitute player from the first game, Ilya “Lil” Ilyuk.
Alliance adopted a multi-pronged strategy to keep NiP on their toes, especially countering TANNER’s Monkey King with Simon “Handsken” Haag’s Phoenix. Alliance gained control and closed out the game solidly.
The third game revolved around farming, with both teams focusing on building up their heroes for big fights. Alliance initially had an advantage with Limp’s Kunkka and Nikobaby’s Juggernaut.
However, missed timings and failed ganks gave NiP the upper hand. NiP’s Milan “MiLAN” Kozomara shone on Rubick, and Blizzy controlled the map with Centaur Warrunner while the fully built Phantom Lancer dominated the opposition.
Despite TANNER not having a kill-heavy performance, his Dragon Knight dealt massive damage. Alliance crumbled after losing a teamfight in the Roshan pit, resulting in a full team wipe from which they couldn’t recover.
NiP’s victory puts them in a three-way tie for second place in Group B with Chicken Fighters and Natus Vincere. Their next match is against the group-leading Team Secret on April 7 at 1pm CT.
Ninjas in Pyjamas, Alliance, Dota 2, ESL One Los Angeles Online, ppd, TANNER, Daxak, s4, Grimmstroke, Blizzy, Limp, Nikobaby, Xibbe, Lil, Handsken, MiLAN