BNXT Playoffs: Hammers Dominate Game 3 to Take Control of BNXT League Finals

Landstede Hammers delivered a commanding performance in Game 3 of the BNXT League Finals, defeating ZZ Leiden 75-61 to tighten their grip on the championship. The 14-point margin tells a clear story: Landstede’s ability to generate consistent offense from multiple sources proved too much for a Leiden squad that struggled to distribute its offensive load effectively.

Bench Depth Proves to Be the Decisive Factor

The defining element of this Game 3 victory was Landstede’s bench production. American guard Devin Whitfield delivered 10 points in just 18.4 minutes off the bench, a level of efficiency that gave the Hammers a significant edge whenever their starters needed rest. Grayson Alexander Carter added 9 points and 7 rebounds in 20.1 minutes, also coming from the reserve unit. Together, they provided exactly the kind of high-impact relief that championship rotations require.

This bench firepower complemented a well-balanced starting effort. Boyd Van Der Vuurst de Vries led all Landstede scorers with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists in 30.9 minutes, functioning as the team’s primary offensive engine. Erik Sajantila contributed 12 points and 5 rebounds, while Jalen Thomas added 14 points in 29.5 minutes. The result was a rotation in which no single player carried an unsustainable burden — a structural advantage that accumulated over 40 minutes.

Jalen Thomas — 14pts, 4reb, 0ast

Leiden’s Offense Too Dependent on Maconda

ZZ Leiden’s offensive structure exposed a critical vulnerability in Game 3. Dimitri Maconda was their leading scorer with 15 points in 30.5 minutes, but the supporting cast failed to consistently match that output. Tyreek Scott-Grayson posted a well-rounded line with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, and both Stan van den Elzen and Nate Roberts also reached double figures with 10 points each. However, the team’s overall offensive rhythm appeared disjointed, with Maconda too often operating in isolation rather than as part of a fluid system.

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Roberts’ 7 rebounds and Scott-Grayson’s playmaking showed that Leiden had the individual talent to compete. But the inability to leverage their bench as effectively as Landstede ultimately undermined their chances. Roeland Schaftenaar contributed 8 points and 3 assists in just 14.8 minutes, but it was not enough to close the gap that Whitfield and Carter had helped create on the other end.

Landstede’s rotating system — built around three American players in Thomas, Whitfield, and Carter alongside Dutch contributors — proved to be a model of collective efficiency in this Finals context. Each piece fit within a coherent structure, making the Hammers difficult to game-plan against over the course of a full game.

With this decisive Game 3 victory in the 2025-2026 BNXT League Finals, Landstede Hammers have positioned themselves as the dominant force in the series, their bench depth and balanced attack standing as the clearest indicators of why they remain ahead.