The Premier Lacrosse League MVP flexed some serious muscle Sunday in Salt Lake City.

Reigning league and championship MVP Matt Rambo set a new PLL single-game record with 10 points, dissecting the Archers with two goals and eight assists as the Whipsnakes wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the PLL Championship Series playoffs with a 17-11 win over the Archers at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.

The Whipsnakes (4-0) left no doubt about being favored to repeat as PLL champions, finishing group play with a plus-24 scoring differential and throttling the only other team that had yet to lose. They’ll have a first-round bye and three days off before the semifinals Thursday.

The elimination round begins with three games Tuesday: (2) Chrome vs. (7) Chaos (5:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Gold), (4) Redwoods vs. (5) Waterdogs (8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Gold) and (3) Archers vs. (6) Atlas (10:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports). The Whips get the winner of the Redwoods-Waterdogs matchup.

“We just played three games in four days. It’s super hot out here,” Rambo said after the game on NBC Sports. Sunday’s high was 102 degrees. “Having a couple of days rest and going back to the drawing board, we’re just focused on us, trying to play Whipsnakes ball.”

They certainly could not have drawn it up any better than they did in the final 17 minutes Sunday, scoring eight of the last 10 goals to blow open a back-and-forth game in which no team led by more than two until the Whipsnakes pulled away in the fourth quarter.

John Haus (four goals, two assists) and Zed Williams (four goals, one assist) also starred on offense, while Joe Nardella won 21 of 30 faceoffs to finish group play at 75 percent, by far the best in the league. Williams’ 14 goals also top the PLL leaderboard.

Method Man Drops ‘Boom’

Method Man, the rapper of Wu-Tang Clan fame, released a new single inspired by his days playing lacrosse in Hempstead, N.Y. “Boom” debuted at halftime of Sunday’s game on the PLL’s social media channels.

BOOM

By @methodman pic.twitter.com/Vrj4r1BUcr

— Premier Lacrosse League (@PremierLacrosse) August 2, 2020

PLL Standings

1. Whipsnakes 4-0 (+24)

2. Chrome 3-1 (+5)

3. Archers 3-1 (-2)

4. Redwoods 2-2 (-3)

5. Waterdogs 1-3 (-3)

6. Atlas 1-3 (-10)

7. Chaos 0-4 (-11)

Elimination Round
Tuesday (All Times Eastern)

5:30 p.m. - (2) Chrome vs. (7) Chaos (NBCSG)

8 p.m. – (4) Redwoods vs. (5) Waterdogs (NBCSG)

10:30 p.m. – (3) Archers vs. (6) Atlas (NBCSN)