BNXT League Playoff Finals: Antwerp Giants Crush Oostende in BNXT League Finals Game 1 Behind Rasheed Bello’s Masterclass

There are dominant wins, and then there are statement wins. What Antwerp Giants delivered in Game 1 of the BNXT League Finals falls squarely in the second category. A 17-point margin against a Finals-caliber opponent is not an accident — it reflects structural superiority, and the Giants demonstrated exactly that on both ends of the floor.

Rasheed Bello Sets the Tone Early

The story of the night begins and ends with Rasheed Bello. The Chicago-born point guard, who developed at Purdue Fort Wayne, finished with 25 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in a remarkably efficient 26 minutes. That efficiency-per-minute ratio is the key detail here. Bello did not need extended run to impose his will — he dictated pace, made quick decisions, and never forced the action. For a young American playmaker still establishing himself in European basketball, that kind of poise in a Finals environment is genuinely impressive.

Rasheed Bello — 25pts, 3reb, 3ast

Bello’s performance is also a reminder of how valuable college-developed guards can be when they arrive in Europe with a complete skill set. His ability to run the offense without turnovers while generating points at that volume gave Antwerp exactly the kind of controlled aggression a home team needs in a series opener.

Antwerp’s Depth Exposes Oostende’s Limits

What made this performance particularly worrying for Oostende is that Bello was not alone. Enoch Cheeks, the 6’3″ guard out of the University of Dayton, added 18 points and 4 assists across 31.8 minutes. Cheeks had averaged 17 points per game in the regular season, and he showed up when the lights got brighter — a two-way presence who made Oostende pay on both sides of the ball.

Andrew Funk, a seasoned shooter who accumulated 1,693 points and 302 made 3-points during a five-year collegiate career at Bucknell and Penn State, chipped in 12 points in 22.1 minutes. Niels De Ridder and Yoeri Schoepen each added 9 points, with Schoepen delivering a concentrated burst of energy off the bench in just 13 minutes. That is five players in double figures or near it — a nightmare to guard, a nightmare to gameplan against.

Oostende, by contrast, never found consistent rhythm. Noam Yaacov was active with 13 points and 11 assists, and Aleksandre Merkviladze led the scoring with 15 points in only 17.4 minutes, but the overall offensive output of 83 points fell well short of what a Finals contender needs to stay competitive. Andre Gustavson‘s 13 points and 6 rebounds provided some interior presence, but it was not nearly enough to compensate for the team’s broader struggles to generate clean looks.

A Series Already Tilted

The deeper issue for Oostende is structural. Antwerp controlled the tempo, defended with intensity, and deployed their American college products in ways that maximized spacing and decision-making speed. When a team can rotate five credible scoring threats while maintaining defensive discipline, opponents are forced into uncomfortable compromises — and Oostende never found an answer.

Game 1 is one game, but the margin and the manner of this victory suggest Antwerp is playing at a different level entering this series. The Giants have home court, momentum, and Rasheed Bello in full command. Oostende will need a significant tactical adjustment before Game 2.