Mavs star Luka Dončić expected to see action when Dallas welcomes Orlando Friday night
Andre Johnson 
Barring any surprise last-minute changes, Mavericks star shooting guard Luka Dončić is expected in the lineup when Dallas welcomes the Orlando Magic to the American Airlines Center for its preseason home opener Friday night at 7:30 CST.
According to pregame notes, Dončić is scheduled to start along with veteran center JaVale McGee, both of whom did not make the trip to Tulsa for Wednesday night’s preseason opener against Oklahoma City.
Dončić and McGee participated in the team’s brief shootaround session Friday morning and are expected to see limited action against the Magic, who will open preseason play against a Dallas team with whom they spilt in two regular season games last year.
Expected to join Dončić and McGee in Friday’s lineup are Reggie Bullock (who scored seven points in 16-plus minutes in the preseason opener), Dorian Finney-Smith (who finished 0-for-4 and no points in 16-plus minutes), and veteran guard Spencer Dinwiddie, who tallied nine points on 3-of-6 field goals in 16-plus minutes.
Newly-acquired Mavs guard Jaden Hardy, who spent last season with the NBA G League Ignite, is expected to see significant minutes against Orlando after scoring a game-high 21 points on 8-of-16 attempts in 23-plus minutes versus OKC.
Six-year veteran big man Christian Wood, who played the previous two seasons with Houston, also is expected to witness significant playing time in Friday’s preseason home opener after netting 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting in 25-plus minutes of action against the Thunder.
Dallas closes out the preseason on the road at Utah Oct. 14. The Mavs open the regular season at Phoenix Oct. 19.
Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder/Publisher & Editor In Chief of Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson has covered the National Basketball Association since 2010. To reach Johnson, call him at 901-690-6587 or send email to [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
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