Team Currie Dixon took the first game of the Filipino basketball league final.

The best-of-three final features Currie Dixon versus Triniti Dental/JPR Cleaning.

They tipped off in the F.H. Collins gym Saturday evening.

The teams played in front of a raucous crowd with many noisemakers on hand.

Triniti/JPR led 33-16 at the end of the first quarter. They knocked down several 3s in the first half.

Team Currie went on an incredible run at the end of the half to pull within three, 52-49, at the half.

They created turnover after turnover and converted seemingly every steal into a basket.

Currie Dixon’s Bonnie (Bon Bon) Posecion heated up in the second half.

The big run continued for Dixon and they were ahead 68-62 with 4:25 left in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, sharpshooter Nico Sarmiento uncharacteristically struggled for Triniti/JPR.

The score in the tight contest was dead even at 74-74 after the third quarter.

Currie Dixon pulled ahead and were leading 94-91 with 1:45 left in the game. The man known as Boris (John Dingcong) hit a couple of baskets to take the lead for Currie’s team.

Strangely enough, that score held up until there were only nine seconds left on the clock, leaving Triniti/JPR one last chance to tie it up.

Sarmiento was fouled but was only able to make one free throw.

Currie’s team added an insurance basket at the end to make the final 96-92 Currie Dixon.

Dingcong said he was “very happy” at the end of the game, as the boisterous crowd chanted “Boris, Boris,” the name on the back of his jersey.

“I just throw it and pray to God,” he related.

Regarding the chanting, Dingcong said, “They’re my family. They’re so happy when I shoot the ball.”

Dingcong gave his take on how they managed to come back from a double-digit deficit.

“We have the teamwork here. We do our best. That’s why we win.”

First-year big man Patrick Yulo also stood out for Dingcong.

Triniti/JPR coach Joel Rumbaoa said, “We still have a chance in Game 2. Hopefully we can win and we can have a Game 3.”

When asked what happened to their lead, Rumbaoa said, “We had a lot of mistakes. A lot of turnovers.”

Rombaoa said he was hoping they would play hard in Game 2.

“We have to improve our defence. We didn’t control our momentum.”

Leading scorers for Currie Dixon were Posecion, with 30 and RJ Siosan with 23 points.

Big man Sam Wilson lead the way for Triniti/JPR with 20 points.

Ian New chipped in 19, Billy Scott 17, and Jeff Rumbaoa netted 13 in a losing cause.

The third-place game was a high-scoring affair with the Knights of Columbus team edging out Cornerstone Construction 116-112.

Isiah Cabiso lead the way for the Knights with 36 points. Britonny Pagobo contributed 26 points. Kyle Aying swished in 21 and RC Agusto added 20 points.

The Hermosa brothers lead the way for Cornerstone with 36 (Bryan) and 28 (Ralph) points, respectively.

In the 35 Up Division, in the third-place game, the Knights of Columbus edged Cornerstone Construction 77-74.

In the 35 Up final, Home Hardware prevailed over Triniti Dental/JPR Cleaning 86-79.

RC Augosto was the top scorer for Home Hardware with 21 points. Jo Awing added 18 and Ian Maloyloy-on 14 points.

Rich Thompson netted 26 points in a losing cause for Triniti/JPR.

Chowsit Tarun scored 12 and Kim Handan added 11.

Game 2 of the finals goes Saturday May 11 at 2 p.m. at F.H. Collins.