DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Chicago Bulls forward Luol Deng hopes he won't need surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left wrist.

Deng was injured in the fourth quarter Saturday against Charlotte and figures to miss at least a few more games after sitting out Monday's win over the New Jersey Nets. He says the wrist is still sore, but the pain has gone down "a lot" in the past few days.

Even so, surgery remains a possibility, and coach Tom Thibodeau says he is "week to week."

Losing Deng for an extended time would be a big blow for the Bulls, who own a league-best 16-3 record even though they've dealt with their share of injuries. He's averaging 15.9 points per game and 7.5 rebounds.