Austin Reaves enters hallowed Lakers territory with his 45-point barrage against the Pacers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The first five players to put up at least 45 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in one game for the Los Angeles Lakers were Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

The sixth is Austin Reaves, who hit those exact numbers while leading the short-handed Lakers to a 124-117 victory over surging Indiana on Saturday.

Reaves knows what you're thinking. He feels the same way.

“It looks weird when you see my name up there,” Reaves said with a smile.

It's getting less weird with each achievement by Reaves, who joined the Lakers undrafted out of Oklahoma 3 1/2 years ago. He has grown into a starter and a key contributor for his favorite team ever since he was a rural Arkansas kid who idolized Kobe Bryant and wouldn't let anyone dissuade him from his NBA dream.

When Los Angeles had to play without injured LeBron James and Luka Doncic against Indiana, the fourth-place team in the East, Reaves produced the most prolific game of his career to date. He hit 14 of 26 shots, made four 3-pointers and went 13 of 13 from the free-throw line while usually initiating the offense down the stretch.

Throw in those seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals, and Reaves was able to carry the depleted Lakers past a talented Pacers team. No wonder Reaves heard late “M-V-P!” chants from Lakers fans grateful they got to see something amazing even with James and Doncic in street clothes.

James has a sore left ankle, and Doncic wasn't quite ready for his debut. The Lakers were still in upheaval from losing Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish in two deadline trades — and now they're in even more upheaval after they rescinded their trade of Knecht and Reddish for Charlotte center Mark Williams later Saturday.

What's more, Reaves has a sore left elbow that easily could have kept him out of his historic game. He only decided to play through the pain moments before the pregame cutoff time — and the Lakers were grateful he did.

“I think he’s been as important as any player on our team,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I felt like he was the best player on the floor tonight, and that says a lot. He showed up in a big-time way.”

Reaves got off to a huge start against Indiana, scoring 11 points in less than six minutes. He finished the first half with 20, and he took charge again in the fourth quarter, starting it off with back-to-back 3-pointers before finishing the final period with 14 points.

It was a remarkable performance by a player who just set his previous career high of 38 against Brooklyn last month — but Reaves is the first to acknowledge his entire NBA career has been one surprise after another. He has filled multiple roles since he unexpectedly played his way into a Lakers roster spot out of training camp in 2021.

“The path that I took is not conventional,” Reaves said. “There’s probably only a handful of people that thought I would be in this position, if any. It wasn’t really the popular thing to do to continue to chase my dream. ... If I can inspire kids that’s in my situation to continue to chase their dreams, whatever it is, just do it.”

He's now much more than a surprise, however: Reaves has averaged at least 28 minutes per game in each of the past three seasons as a frequent starter — including all 44 games this season under Redick.

Reaves is also part of one of the most intriguing teams in Lakers history following their dramatic move to land Doncic, who could be Reaves' backcourt-mate for years to come.

While Doncic is expected to be the next centerpiece of the Lakers, Reaves has become extraordinarily valuable as well — and he's occasionally making history.

“It’s surreal, because I grew up a huge Kobe fan, so I was automatically a Laker fan,” Reaves said. “Just to be able to go out there and put the uniform on and compete, and then to have a couple of those games to where my name is in with those guys, is special. It’s something that I won’t take for granted.”

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, right, celebrates with center Jaxson Hayes after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, shoots and scores as Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, gestures after hitting a thee-point shot as Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard stands by during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic, left, greets guard Austin Reaves prior to an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, right, celebrates with center Jaxson Hayes after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, dunks as Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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)