CHALON-SUR-SAONE (FIBA Europe Cup) - It's high time for drama in the FIBA Europe Cup, as Elan Chalon and Nanterre 92 embark on the final stretch of their European journey with hopes of crowning their season-long campaign with a sought-after international trophy.

With the first leg of the Finals played in Chalon-sur-Saone, the pressure will be primarily on Jean-Denys Choulet's side to get a result, while his counterpart Pascal Donnadieu will be hoping to keep things in control from the back seat.

ElanTV - Teaser de la Finale Aller by elanchalon
Point differential could once again turn out to be the deciding factor, as Elan Chalon and Nanterre both have the uncanny tendency of only winning every second game in the FIBA Europe Cup since the start of the Play-Offs.

En-route to the Finals, the Chalon-sur-Saône club got past Körmend, Cibona Zagreb and, most recently Telenet Oostende, while Nanterre had to deal with Charleroi Spirou, Muratbey Usak Sportif and Telekom Baskets Bonn.

The teams mirror each other nicely on the court, with both coaches emphasizing up-tempo, space-the-floor basketball. That is also reflected in Elan Chalon and Nanterre ranking third and fourth in the competition in scoring, respectively.

However, the dynamics have changed slightly in the Play-Offs, with coach Donnadieau's side going into a higher gear at 87.5 points per game since the Round of 16, while Elan Chalon's scoring average has dipped to 85.3 in the same stretch.

But it will of course be the on-court match-ups that will decide the winner of the FIBA Europe Cup, not stat sheet comparisons. And there will be at least a few mouth-watering mano-a-mano duels in store for us, especially among the team's point guards and centers.

Elan Chalon playmaker John Roberson is averaging a stellar 17.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game, while Nanterre's primary ball-handler Chris Warren has also been doing solid work with averages of 14.6 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Down low, Elan Chalon's defensive backbone Moustapha Fall will take on France's up-and-coming prospect Mathias Lessort, who actually played in Chalon-sur-Saone last season.

Fall has developed into a nightly double-double threat, averaging 10.1 points, 8.1 boards, 2.7 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. Lessort has also held his own against most opponents so far, putting up 9.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.4 per game in the FIBA Europe Cup.

There is a good chance players in both positions will cancel each other out, but there's plenty of firepower at the disposal of both coaches elsewhere.

A lot of eyes will be Elan Chalon's power forward Cameron Clark. The always-in-attack-mode player is the team's leading scorer, averaging elite numbers of 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in what has been a memorable campaign for him individually in addition to the team success.

For Nanterre, the possible advantage could come in Warren's backcourt partners Spencer Butterfield and Heiko Schaffartzik, who have been breathing fire from beyond the arc. The lethal backcourt trio makes 8.4 three-pointers per game on exceptional 48% percent accuracy.

Butterfield collects 13.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, while Schaffartzik has chipped in with 12.1 points, 2.2 boards and 4.9 assists on average in the team's European campaign.

The first leg of the FIBA Europe Cup Final on Tuesday will tip off at 20:30 CET, with the return game taking place in Nanterre in exactly one week's time on 25 April.

FIBA