Reale Mutua bounced right back. After a dismal home loss to Mestre, Torino beat Pistoia 84-77 on the road to pick up its first win of the season in a game that meant more than just the standings.

It was the way Torino won that mattered most: with a shortened rotation, without Corgnati, Benvenuti and Mossi, and after Pistoia pulled ahead in the third quarter, the team stayed composed and immediately found the resolve to respond.

Paolo Moretti’s team built its lead in the first quarter, finishing the period ahead 30-20 behind sharp shooting, crisp ball movement and a strong showing from its American players.

Terry Allen led all scorers with 25 points, followed by Zach Harvey with 23. Faloppa added 10, while Massone ran the offense with 11 assists. The most telling number, in a game that grew increasingly scrappy as the minutes passed, was Torino’s ball movement: 23 assists to Pistoia’s 13.

The home team, however, never truly went away. Filloy reopened the game with two 3-pointers in the second quarter, Schina put Pistoia ahead in the second half, while Walker, Ajayi and the former Torino point guard kept Ciani’s team within striking distance.

Torino held firm. It shot better from the field, 47% to 44.4%, and from 3-point range, 39.3% to 32%, while Pistoia generated much of its offense at the free-throw line but left nine points there, going 21-for-30.

In a game filled with personal connections — with Moretti returning to a court that has played an important role in his career and Schina facing his former team as an ex-captain — Torino did a good job of not getting swept up in the emotion, sticking to the fundamentals.

The most difficult stretch came after halftime, when Pistoia pulled ahead 58-56.

Reale Mutua, which a week earlier had folded at the first sign of adversity, responded this time through Scandiuzzi, Pepe and Harvey, taking back the lead 67-63 after three quarters. In the fourth, Torino protected its advantage and then stretched it to 80-69 before Pistoia began intentionally fouling.

Moretti was emphatic afterward.

“I’m very happy for the guys. We were coming off a difficult week, with some very down faces after Mestre. Today, we asked for a different kind of game, and the response was important.”

He then pointed to the numbers: “We won while shooting 14 free throws to their 30. We took their punches and didn’t give in.”

And he added: “We didn’t go down emotionally. That is the best hallmark of our performance.”

The coach also highlighted the contribution of the entire team.

“Pepe said in the locker room that everyone brought a brick to build the house. I’m thinking of Ghirlanda’s huge defensive effort against Walker, the Americans, our big men, and Scandiuzzi, who was playing in Serie B last year and today held his own.”