DETROIT (AP) — Paul Reed had 28 points and 13 rebounds and the undermanned Detroit Pistons won their eighth straight game, beating the Chicago Bulls 124-113 on Wednesday night.
The Pistons improved to 10-2 despite missing their entire usual starting lineup of Cade Cunningham (hip), Jalen Duren (ankle), Tobias Harris (ankle), Ausar Thompson (ankle) and Jaden Ivey (knee) and two key reserves.
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Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry stands on the court before an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan stands on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed celebrates after making a three-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins, left, shoots against Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Duncan Robinson scored 23 points before fouling out, and Daniss Jenkins added 18 points and a career-high 12 assists.
Matas Buzelis had 21 points and 14 rebounds for Chicago, and Kevin Huerter added 20 points. The Bulls have lost four straight after a 6-1 start.
Down 16 after three quarters, but the Bulls scored the first 11 points of the fourth to get to 95-90. Chicago cut it to 97-96, but Reed's three-point play and Ron Holland II's dunk put Detroit up by six with 8:02 left.
Robinson has started all 12 games because of Ivey's preseason knee surgery. He had 17 points in the first half, and Jenkins, making his first NBA start, had 16.
The Pistons shot 60.5% from the floor in the first half, including 52.9% on 3-pointers, on their way to a season-high 68 points.
Bulls: At Utah on Sunday night.
Pistons: Host Philadelphia on Friday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry stands on the court before an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Chicago Bulls head coach Billy Donovan stands on the court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed celebrates after making a three-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins, left, shoots against Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Detroit Pistons guard Daniss Jenkins reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
MONTERREY, Mexico (AP) — Iraq overcame major logistical issues to become the 48th and final team to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup with a 2-1 win over Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff Tuesday, ending a wait of four decades to return to soccer's marquee global event.
Ali Almahadi opened the scoring in the 18th minute, Moises Paniagua tied it for Bolivia in the 38th and Aymen Hussein scored the clincher in the 53rd minute for Iraq. The Iraq team will join Group I along with France, Norway and Senegal.
“We have nothing to lose, let’s try to shock the world with a crazy result and performance. It is great that we qualified,” Iraq coach Graham Arnold said. “It is a privilege for us."
Arnold, who guided Australia at the 2022 World Cup, said he didn't think his Iraqi players had faced the likes of France star Kylian Mbappe or Norway's Erling Haaland.
"It will be an honor. We respect those players and what they do, but we will try to win.”
Iraq will be back at the World Cup for the first time since Mexico 1986, kicking off June 16 against Norway at Foxborough, followed by games against France on June 22 at Philadelphia and Senegal at Toronto on June 26.
Bolivia missed out on qualifying for its second World Cup.
“What remains is pain and frustration; we feel devastated by the result," Bolivia coach Oscar Villegas said. “These young men lost with honor on the field and gave everything to achieve the result, but unfortunately, the country missed out on the World Cup.”
The match was played in front of 49,286 fans at the BBVA stadium in Monterrey, one of three host cities in Mexico for the World Cup.
“I’ve got to give full credit to the players — their fighting spirit was unreal,” Arnold said in comments posted on fifa.com. "They put their body on the line, and 46 million people are proud.”
Earlier this month, Iraq faced uncertainty about even been able to contest the playoffs. The war in Iran resulted in Iraqi players being stranded because their country’s airspace was closed, preventing the team from using commercial flights to leave. Team officials officially asked FIFA to postpone the playoff match.
“Everything that is going on in the Middle East made it a little bit harder but the main thing I said, and I worked very hard on, was their mentality,” Graham said. “I banned social media since the day we got here. I did not want them to think of what is going on in the Middle East because they had to focus on the job we had here.”
The team also faced visa complications because Mexico does not have an embassy in Iraq and players struggled to obtain visas. But the issue was resolved when the Mexico's foreign affairs ministry facilitated visas at other regional embassies.
The team finally arrived in Monterrey on March 21 after a 25-hour journey that included navigating travel restrictions and a stopover in Portugal.
Congo scored in extra time to edge Jamaica 1-0 earlier Tuesday to become the 47th of 48 teams that will play at the World Cup.
Axel Tuanzebe scored following a corner kick in the 100th minute. The Jamaican defenders failed to clear the ball and Tuanzebe, who plays for Burnley in the English Premier League tapped it into the net.
Congo has never played in a World Cup under that name, although it participated in the 1974 edition in Germany as Zaire.
With its victory in the intercontinental playoff at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Congo completed Group K at the World Cup, where it will face Colombia, Portugal, and Uzbekistan.
“We’re going to enjoy the qualification, but we’ll keep working. We know we’ll be facing top nations who play in the World Cup every four years," Congo captain Chancel Mbemba said. "We’ll stay humble, keep our feet on the ground, and continue to work. We’ll give everything to make our supporters and our people proud.”
The Jamaica team, known as the Reggae Boyz, missed out on what would have been a second World Cup appearance.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Iraq's Aymen Hussein celebrates scoring his side's 2nd goal during the World Cup playoff final soccer match between Iraq and Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Iraq's Ali Al-Hamadi, right, celebrates scoring his side's opening goal during the World Cup playoff final soccer match between Iraq and Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
Iraq's Aymen Hussein, left, is congratulated after scoring his side's 2nd goal during the World Cup playoff final soccer match between Iraq and Bolivia in Monterrey, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
DR Congo's players celebrate at the end of the World Cup playoff final soccer match between DR Congo and Jamaica in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
DR Congo's players celebrate at the end of the World Cup playoff final soccer match between DR Congo and Jamaica in Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)
