The Chicago Bulls take on the Washington Wizards on Friday in the nation's capital and Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine will return to the starting lineup.

Zach LaVine, who missed five games in a row with an ankle injury, returned to game action on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he came off the bench. The high-flyer showed no signs of rust, as LaVine scored 28 points in 26 minutes versus the Timberwolves while shooting 10-of-17 from the floor.

The Bulls, however, lost to Minnesota by a final score of 119-94.

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Bulls head coach Jim Boylen said postgame on Wednesday he was going to meet with Zach LaVine to see how his ankle was feeling and that if everything checked out good, the 23-year-old would start on Friday versus Washington.

On the season, Zach LaVine is averaging 23.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game and shooting 45.5 percent overall, 33.1 percent from beyond the arc and 86.3 percent from the free-throw line. LaVine, along with Lauri Markkanen, is the only bright spot for the Bulls this season. Chicago is 9-26 on the year, 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings.

LaVine signed a four-year, $78 million deal with the Bulls in July. He is making $19.5 million this year and leads Chicago in scoring.