Venezuelan SPB finals set to begin with Guaiqueríes vs. Marinos

The championship series for Venezuela's Superliga Profesional de Baloncesto (SPB) tips off Thursday, with Guaiqueríes set to host Marinos de Anzoátegui in the opening game.

Guaiqueríes will have home-court advantage for the first two games of the best-of-seven final, which will be played at the Guaiqueríes Arena. The series will then move to Puerto La Cruz for games three and four at the Gimnasio Luis Ramos. Potential subsequent games are scheduled for June 18, 21, and 22.

This matchup revives a historic rivalry, as Marinos and Guaiqueríes face off in the professional basketball finals for the first time since 1991. Marinos, seeking their 12th title and first since 2017, won the previous final series against Guaiqueríes 4-2.

Guaiqueríes is competing for the championship for the second time in three years. The SPB also announced that Kevin McDaniels, an American player for Marinos, was named the Most Valuable Player of the semifinals. McDaniels averaged 19.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, playing a crucial role in Marinos' victory over Gaiteros del Zulia.