Monaco improved to 7-4 and is on the verge of the top six
Coach Markoishvili, Elie Okobo enjoyed a night to remember against ASVEL
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It has been an interesting week for everyone at AS Monaco.
After the club and Sasa Obradovic decided to mutually part ways on Monday, there was an emotional post on social media by Mike James dedicated to his former coach and an injury setback for Furkan Korkmaz. Hardly the ideal preparation heading into a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clash against fellow French League side LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.
The hangover from the last few days seemed to be on show in the first quarter at Salle Gaston Medecin on Thursday night, with ASVEL going 8-19 ahead and causing the usually calm crowd inside the arena to get a bit agitated. But then it was time for Elie Okobo to remind his former team of his talent.
In the final 3:30 minutes of the first period, Okobo scored 10 points in a 12-6 Monaco run to make the score a bit more respectable at 20-25. Suddenly, interim head coach Manuchar Markoishvili could breathe a little easier.
Monaco held its own with ASVEL in the second quarter, with Okobo’s three-point play – a reverse layup and the and-one that followed – seeing the hosts tie the game at 34-34. That proved to be the French guard’s only score of the second frame, but he had another 7 in the third quarter as Monaco took control of the contest – it led 75-64 entering the fourth – and then a further 7 in the final period as the hosts romped to a 103-92 victory.
Come the end of the game, Okobo had 27 points, his highest tally in 89 EuroLeague games for Monaco. In fact, the only time he bettered that mark in his 116-game EuroLeague career came during his rookie season in 2021-22 as he netted 35 points for ASVEL in a 70-84 win at Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens on October 29, 2021.
“We went through a lot the last couple of days, obviously,” Okobo told EuroLeague TV. “We lost Coach [Obradovic] and I think we needed to bounce back, regroup and find a way to get together again on the court, be happy for the next guy, play together and fight. I think that’s what we did overall. We did a great job staying locked in, even when they had their run. Defensively it was good, and offensively I think we were sharing the ball way more than usual.”
It was a great night for Okobo, but it was also a special night for Coach Markoishvili. One of Obradovic’s assistants since 2021, the Georgian – who featured 126 times in the EuroLeague as a player across 10 seasons – experienced the emotional highs and lows that come with being a head coach in the EuroLeague on Thursday night. Afterward, he was delighted that he was able to see Monaco secure the win.
“There is nothing to analyze, the guys did an amazing job, amazing effort. All the credit to them,” Coach Markoishvili said. “They were really locked in and concentrated. They knew what they had to do and they followed [the game plan]. They played together, they involved the crowd, which is very important for the future for us.
“I’m really happy that today I had this opportunity. Probably this is a day that I will never forget… not probably, 100%. All the credit again to my players, to the crowd, who all game long were with us.”
Understandably, once it became public knowledge that Markoishvili would be taking charge of Monaco for this Round 11 clash against ASVEL, the 38-year-old was inundated with messages. But for those who he did not reply to, he had a special message: “One second, can I say something? Hey, I got a million messages these days and I never responded. So, guys, don’t be mad. Thank you very much for the support.”
For the 7-4 Monaco, next up is a trip to face the reigning EuroLeague champion in Panathinaikos at OAKA. It remains unclear if Coach Markoishvili will be on the bench for that game, but regardless, Monaco heads into that Round 12 clash after winning back-to-back games in the EuroLeague for just the second time this season.
Even if Monaco has had an up and down start to the campaign, the team's talent is undeniable, as Okobo reminded everyone in Round 11 against ASVEL.