Davis scores season-high 38, Lakers beat Raptors 131-125 for first road win of the season

TORONTO (AP) — Anthony Davis scored a season-high 38 points and had 12 rebounds, LeBron James had 27 points and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers never trailed in a 131-125 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Austin Reaves scored 20 points and D’Angelo Russell had 19 as the Lakers built a lead that the Raptors were unable to overcome.

Los Angeles led by as many as 26 in its fourth consecutive win over Toronto before the Raptors battled back in the second half.

RJ Barrett had a season-high 33 points and a career-high 12 assists, but Toronto lost its fourth straight. Gradey Dick scored a career-high 31 points and Jakob Poeltl had 19 points and 12 rebounds.

After scoring his first career basket in Wednesday’s loss at Cleveland, Lakers rookie Bronny James checked in for the final 7.6 seconds.

Lakers: Following back-to-back losses at Phoenix and Cleveland, Los Angeles won on the road for the first time this season.

Raptors: Rookie guard Ja’Kobe Walter made his season debut and completed a three-point play early in the second quarter for his first career points. He shot 1 for 8 and finished with five points in 20 minutes. Toronto’s first-round pick missed training camp and the start of the season with a sprained right shoulder.

Toronto cut the deficit to 104-98 in the fourth, but Max Christie made two free throws and Rui Hachimura connected on consecutive corner 3s to restore the Lakers’ double-digit edge.

Los Angeles tripled Toronto's free throw attempts, shooting 36 for 41 while the Raptors finished 11 for 13.

The Raptors will retire Vince Carter’s jersey in a halftime ceremony when they host Sacramento on Saturday night, and the Lakers visit Detroit on Monday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Toronto Raptors' Davion Mitchell (45) drives as Los Angeles Lakers' Max Christie (12) defends during first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Ochai Agbaji (30) fouls Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) during second half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Chris Boucher (25) protects the ball from Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) shoots as Toronto Raptors' Jonathan Mogbo (2) defends during second half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Gradey Dick (1) shoots surrounded by Los Angeles Lakers' D'Angelo Russell (1), Max Christie (12) and Anthony Davis (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett, right, scores as Los Angeles Lakers' Jaxson Hayes (11) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Jakob Poeltl, left, protects the ball from Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) fouls Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett (9) drives past Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Jonathan Mogbo, left, battles for the ball with Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, center, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Ja'Kobe Walter (14) shoots between Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, left, and Dalton Knecht (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Raptors' Gradey Dick (1) shoots as Los Angeles Lakers' Max Christie (12) and Rui Hachimura (28) defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) and Toronto Raptors' Ochai Agbaji (30) battle for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James (23) protects the ball from Toronto Raptors' RJ Barrett (9) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Los Angeles Lakers' Anthony Davis (3) shoots between Toronto Raptors' Chris Boucher (25) and Jamal Shead (right) during second half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)