Basket City has a new sheriff in town: Take cover, it's Aradori shooting

BOLOGNA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - It's not a real quick draw shoot out until the local sheriff steps in. And nobody draws the guns as fast as Pietro Aradori in Bologna.

It looked like the wild, wild west as Italy and Poland combined for mind blowing 19 three-pointers in the first half. By now, you probably already know that Amedeo Della Valle stole the show, finishing the game with a new European Qualifiers-high of 8 three-pointers made, taking Italy to an 101-82 win, pushing the Azzurri towards China.

However, Della Valle's late game heroics would have meant nothing if Pietro Aradori didn't go ballistic in his first-half shooting exhibit. It happened in the most Aradorian way possible, the way that charmed fans in Biella, Cantu, Siena and many other places over the 12 years of his professional career.

First, Pietro knocked down a catch-and-shoot three-pointer coming off of screens on the right. Then, he followed it up with a fade-away post-up, which led to another step-back long two. The spurt ended on a straight forward three-pointer that got even the TV commentators asking: "Why not!?"

That's 10 points in less than three minutes, completely changing the rhythm of the game, tilting it to the Italian side.

"It was a spectacular game, with both teams going over 50 points scored in the first half," Aradori said after the duel. His own personal 10-3 run was arguably the most impressive sequence of the night in Bologna.

And Basket City knew how to react to the madness of the national team's only Bologna based player. The 29-year-old shooting guard has found home in Virtus Bologna, it certainly felt like he knew the rims too well in that second quarter outburst.

"PalaDozza's response is always there, and I have no doubt that people in Bologna had fun. Not just them, but also those who saw the game on TV. For me, playing with the national team always doubled the emotion, even more so here, in what has become my new home since last year. I was on fire," Aradori smiled.

His style of play fits to Romeo Sacchetti's coaching just as a slap fits a fool's face. Free flowing offense, fire-at-will mentality, with a goal of scoring one point more than the opponent instead of it being on the defensive end - that's how Italy became the first and the only team to score 100+ points in multiple games in these Qualifiers.

Perfect for their confidence ahead of the travel to Hungary.

"We have to go to Hungary to win," Pietro keeping it short and simple. "We know it will be difficult, they won with a good margin in the Netherlands, they will be really motivated against us. And playing away is never easy."

But just like in real life, the prize of solving something that is "never easy" is usually the sweetest one. For Italy, it would mean a huge step towards China, chance to steer clear ahead of everybody but Lithuania in a crowded Group J.

"We defended our advantage ahead of the other teams in the group. But the ranking is compressed, we are all there, and we know that, as in soccer, it is not like 15 or 20 years ago. Even in basketball, things have changed quiet a bit, there are no obvious, clear winners of games. [Playing Hungary in Monday in] Debrecen will not be easy for us."

Aradori will take the court with added motivation once again. A three-time FIBA EuroBasket Quarter-Finalist could finally take his talents outside of Europe, as he is yet to play a global main event in the national team jersey.

Maybe that all changes as soon as 2019.

FIBA