It's time for BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2024, and we've got a banger between the new international squadron of NIP to face off against the titans on G2 in the opening match of Group C.
The first best of three of day one to kick off the LAN circuit in 2024, let's get into it.
NIP started the strongest of the two teams thanks to a REZ ace on the pistol round and G2 had only recorded a single kill by the time they were 0-3 down, but that all changed when m0NESY pulled out the big green.
HenryG noted on round seven that we hadn't seen m0NESY miss a shot since he brought out the AWP, and it wasn't until round nine that eventually did miss one as he shot too quickly on an ALEX shoulder-peek.
But hitting shots like he was - who could blame him for trying it.
With the half ending 7-5 in G2's favour, they got another round ahead by winning their T-side pistol round.
NIP then found an advantage in Mid on their force-buy in round 14, but m0NESY's continued heroics would've converted the round for G2 if not for REZ saving NIP in the 1v1.
The force-buy wars continued in the next round as G2 rushed the A site, rolling over the NIP defence to put themselves in the driving seat again.
G2 continued to fire on all cylinders to close out the map 13-7, but no one hit as hard as the baby GOAT, m0NESY. An incredible 28-9 game from the boy-wonder, NIP went into the break between maps praying that he would slow down going into map two.
Heading into map two, Pimp and Maniac were wondering whether NIP had a trick up their sleeve given that they had never played an official on Anubis before, so how did they get on?
Well, quite brightly, actually... that was until m0NESY continued to hurt NIP as he pulled off a full 10-second smoke defuse while bullets rained down around him.
NIP bounced back in the next round though, REZ on 25hp managed to evade m0NESY with a wide swing to take down nexa and prevent the bomb from being defused.
By the time the second force-buy war of the series was done, G2 were the victors and full of the confidence they needed to extend their streak to a 6-1 lead.
NIP fired back to make it 6-2, but that was as good as it got for them in the first half as it ended 10-2 in G2's favour, with NiKo topping the server with a personal statline of 14-5.
G2 looked to be in high spirits in the second half, and who could blame them as they entered the favourable T-side with such a strong lead?
A bit of trickery and early-round Mid action allowed them a free plant on B in the pistol round and they converted their win to make it 12-2 with an A split on round 14.
headtr1ck tried to fight back as he opened up round 15 with a quick Scout headshot on NiKo on B, but G2's stronger buy proved to be too strong and G2 closed out the map 13-2.
A tough opener for G2, Maniac said on stream that the game had given him "the feeling that NIP could be eliminated in last place." To prevent that, they will have to face the loser of NAVI vs Complexity.
As for G2, they will face the winner of that game to secure themselves a spot in the Group Final.
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