The Hangzhou Spark and San Francisco Shock bounced back from narrow losses with comfortable victories on Saturday night in Burbank, Calif., to staying alive in the Overwatch League playoffs.
The Spark opened lower-bracket action in the double-elimination tournament by handling the Seoul Dynasty 4-1, and the Shock followed with a 4-0 sweep of the London Spitfire. Both winners had fallen 4-3 in the quarterfinals, with the Los Angeles Gladiators beating Hangzhou on Thursday and the Atlanta Reign downing San Francisco on Friday.
Eight teams reached the season-ending, $3.5 million playoffs, with all matches running until one team wins four maps. Seoul and London earned spots in the final eight last week by advancing out of a play-in tournament but are now eliminated after going 0-2 this weekend.
The Spark took the early edge on the Dynasty with a 2-0 victory on Busan but then dropped Eichenwalde 3-2. Hangzhou controlled the action from there, taking Temple of Anubis 2-1, Dorado 3-2 and Lijiang Tower 2-0.
The fourth seed entering the tournament, the Spark will next face the loser of Sunday's match between the second-seeded New York Excelsior and sixth-seeded Reign. The Excelsior beat the Spitfire 4-1 in the upper bracket on Friday.
San Francisco made it more of the same for London on Saturday, taking Busan 2-1, Numbani 3-2, Horizon Lunar Colony 2-1 and Watchpoint: Gibraltar 2-1 for the comfortable victory.
The Shock, who entered the playoffs with the second-best overall record and riding a nine-game win streak, will face the loser of Sunday's match between the top-seeded Vancouver Titans and fifth-seeded Gladiators.
Both second-round losers-bracket matches will take place on Thursday, with the winners-bracket finals on Friday and the last two losers-bracket matches on Sept. 14 and 15. The Grand Finals will be held Sept. 29 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, with $1.1 million going to the champion.
-- Field Level Media