Head to head: Pass masters meet in the finals

One of the most watched match-ups in this season"s ABA League Finals, will for sure be the clash of Stefan Jović and Nikola Ivanović, two excellent point guards, that have marked the season so far.

A lot has been changing throughout the season in the squads of ABA League finalists Crvena zvezda Telekom and Mega Leks, but point guards Stefan Jović and Nikola Ivanović were the leaders of their teams throughout the season and, as time passed by, they continued to receive more and more important roles.

Stefan Jović had to carry a lot of burden throughout the season at the point guard position and it did happen unexpectedly, since the initial plan was for him to be the back-up option at the position number one, but eventually ended to be the team"s backbone at probably the most sensitive position on the team. His teammates kept changing - from Gal Mekel at the beginning of the season, through Marcus Williams midway through it, until Vasilije Micić, which currently shares the minutes on court with Serbia national team playmaker currently. For sure it is not easy for any player to undergo such a turbulent period, especially in a team, subject to as high expectations as they are placed in front of red and white.

However, Dejan Radonjić trusted in Jović and he paid him back in the best possible way. He led the team to the second place in the standings as the regular season has finished and then, over Cedevita in the Semi-finals pair, which many have labelled as the "Finals before the Finals.” And Jović did it with style. He became the League"s third best passer and third best ball stealer with 5.4 assists and 2 steals per game, while adding 8.1 points to his stats. His achievement from the Euroleague game in Munich, where he set the new all-time Euroleague single game record in assists dished - 19 against Bayern - is also worth mentioning.

His competitor in the finals will be no other than Nikola Ivanović - the player that has been considered one of the greatest ABA League prospects for many seasons, but in Budućnost VOLI he just did not receive the right opportunity to shine. This season is undisputedly the breakout one for him and, the destiny wanted him to be the hero of the epic home court victory of Mega Leks over no other than his former team Budućnost VOLI - as he finished it with index rating of 21.

Throughout the season, Ivanović has been the ninth best player of the ABA League in terms of valuation (15.54 per game), 16th in points scored (12.73), fourth in assists (5.15) and 12th in steals (1.38), which tells enough about his all-around playing capabilities. Now, as the Finals approach, his good performances will be as important to Mega Leks as ever, especially due to the fact that his teammate at the point guard position, Ognjen Jaramaz, is currently injured and he will have to step up in order to give his team a chance for winning the trophy - their second one this season.

Head to head: