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The Lakers aren’t just heating up -- they’re on fire … and even Byron Scott is starting to believe this run might be real.

L.A. sits third in the west after ripping off eight straight wins, fueled by a full-blown takeover from Luka Dončić -- who’s been dropping video game numbers and completely reshaping the offense in the process. But Scott tells TMZ Sports it’s not just the scoring that has him buying in.

“The biggest thing for me has always been the defensive end,” Scott said. “But over these last four or five games, really this whole stretch, they’ve been locked in.”

That’s the difference.

Luka Doncic is calling a technical foul on his ex-fiancée, essentially telling the court she should consult a map before filing legal docs over their 2 children ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The Lakers superstar filed docs Friday asking an L.A. County judge to dismiss Anamaria Goltes' request for child support and attorneys fees, because she filed it in California ... when she knows the kids live in Slovenia.

In the docs, obtained by TMZ Sports, Luka and his attorney Laura Wasser point out he is not a California resident, and neither are their daughters. He says he's been trying for months to get Anamaria to move to Cali with their kids, but she's refused, since moving back to Slovenia last May. As we reported, that distance is exactly why he says he pulled the plug on their engagement.

Nia Long is sharing some insight from her work in the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic ... telling TMZ how she prepared to play the role of the King of Pop's mother.

We got Nia in New York City, and our photog asked her what fans should expect from the film ... and what she did to get ready to channel Katherine Jackson.

Nia says she leaned into being what a parent and a good mother does ... namely, grace and love.

Here's the police body cam from Justin Timberlake's DWI arrest in Sag Harbor, NY ... and it shows him struggling through sobriety tests, and his friend playing the *NSYNC card.

The video of the June 2024 arrest was finally released late Friday, revealing cops gave JT a series of field sobriety instructions ... some of which seemed to confuse him. At one point Justin says, "These are, like, hard tests."

Justin was extremely polite as the officer shined a flashlight in his face to observe his eyes, and told him to look straight ahead. Once they tell Justin to walk a straight line, he stumbles a few times.

Skylar Grey says she's editing some sexy videos she shot at her old Wisconsin high school after backlash from folks in town.

The singer filmed the controversial scenes in September for a documentary about her roots, but after folks saw some of her clips on social media, they complained to the Wisconsin Heights School District ... and they're planning to raise concerns Monday at a school board meeting.

Skylar tells TMZ ... "This album tells my coming-of-age story about my real life growing up in a small Midwest town -- and that includes the messy, confusing, and very human experience of discovering sexuality."

Joseph Duggar's wife Kendra has been arrested in Arkansas, TMZ has learned.

A warrant was issued for Kendra Friday … police went to the Duggar family compound in Washington County, Arkansas earlier Friday with a warrant for Kendra's arrest ... but she was not there.

But, now she's been taken into custody, according to the Washington County Detention Center. She was wanted for allegedly endangering the welfare of a minor and false imprisonment.

Taylor Frankie Paul's life turned upside down after video of her 2023 fight with Dakota Mortensen came out ... but, you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at her.

Photogs snapped the controversial reality star in Utah Friday ... chatting amiably with a friend while sitting in her car. She breaks into a big smile while they talk.

The star had been busy promoting her season of "The Bachelorette" -- which has now been canceled, as we told you ... but, now she's back in Utah and where we expect she'll hunker down and try to wait out the negative attention.

Palm Beach Pete says he's not changing his look despite the frequent comparisons to Jeffrey Epstein ... because he's a good-looking, decent dude -- not a monster like Epstein was.

The viral sensation joined us on "TMZ Live" to talk about his overnight fame ... which began when some guy started filming him while he drove his convertible down a Florida highway.

PBP says this is par for the course in his life ... telling us it's pretty normal for him to go viral like this.

Chuck Norris had a great sense of humor, and all the memes about him tickled his funny bone ... this according to his longtime bodyguard and sparring partner.

Tom Jones -- a decorated Muay Thai champion -- joined us on "TMZ Live" to discuss the legacy of his late friend a few hours after a statement confirming Chuck's passing was publicly announced.

Jones says he owes a lot to Norris -- who he met years ago while still in the Marines -- explaining the A-lister taught him lessons about life he still carries around with him.

Joseph Duggar is getting some support from his incarcerated brother, Josh, after Joseph's arrest for allegedly molesting a 9-year-old girl.

Josh’s attorney Beau Brindley tells TMZ … Josh is concerned for his bro's well-being -- adding he knows the "pain of accusation," which only increases with saturated media coverage.

Brindley says Josh hopes Joseph can hold tight to his faith ... and not get bogged down by the noise and hysteria the publicity will certainly bring.

Taylor Frankie Paul's season of "The Bachelorette" was set to be a huge reality show crossover ... owing to a number of other 'Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' stars showing up.

Sources close to production tell TMZ … some of the 'Mormon Wives' couples filmed with Taylor for the since-scrapped 'Bachelorette' season.

We're told cast members participated in a scene where they met Taylor's final three suitors to help her decide if the men were a good fit ... and whether the partner she chose would be welcomed into "DadTok."

Taylor Frankie Paul's children were not removed from her custody after the 2023 incident captured on video, when she attacked Dakota Mortensen and, in the process, inadvertently struck one of her children with a barstool.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Utah's Division of Children and Family Services was notified of the incident. In Utah, there's a mandatory reporting requirement by police, and sources connected to DCFS tell TMZ that's how the agency learned of the incident.

As we reported, the police had the video TMZ posted Thursday -- they even reference it in the police report.

A source connected to the DCFS investigation tells TMZ why TFP's 2 children (she had a third child after the incident) were not removed from her home. We're told the agency has a policy of only removing children from their parents when there is an immediate danger. Our source says the video shows the child who was struck by the barstool was not the intended target -- it ricocheted and struck her.

Chuck Norris -- the famed martial artist and actor in films like "The Delta Force" and "Missing in Action" -- is dead ... TMZ has learned.

He died Thursday morning in Hawaii, according to the family, who said, "It is with heavy hearts that our family shares the sudden passing of our beloved Chuck Norris yesterday [Thursday] morning. While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace."

The post reads ... "He lived life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved."

TMZ broke the story ... Chuck was hospitalized either Wednesday or Thursday, and it seemed sudden, because a source who had spoken with Chuck Wednesday said he had been working out and was in an upbeat, jovial mood.

Norris is best remembered for his martial arts and action movie roles in the 1980s ... and for portraying Texas Ranger Cordell Walker in the CBS TV show "Walker, Texas Ranger" in the 1990s.

Natalia Grace -- the Ukrainian woman who was accused by her adoptive family of pretending to be a child and trying to kill them -- is suing Disney for her depiction in the Hulu original series "Good American Family."

Natalia is suing Disney and Hulu for defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress ... claiming the show's depiction of her story led viewers to believe the real Natalia was "deceptive, dangerous, manipulative, dishonest, not truly a child, and responsible for acts of abuse, violence, or attempted violence."

In the lawsuit, filed without a lawyer, Natalia argues the disclaimer at the beginning of the show -- that the creative team modified real-world events to enhance the narrative of "Good American Family" -- isn't sufficient to protect the company ... because they do not make clear exactly which parts of the show have been fictionalized.

Taylor Frankie Paul won't be setting sail with a bunch of 'Bachelor' fans ... because her surprise appearance on a 'Bachelor' cruise ship has been canceled.

Sources close to the event tell TMZ … organizers planned to add Paul to the "Bachelor Nation Vacation at Sea" website Monday -- just one day after the new season would've premiered -- to announce her as a special guest. However, we're told organizers had scrapped her appearance before ABC decided to pull the plug on her season entirely.

We broke the story ... publishing video of a violent confrontation in 2023 between Taylor Frankie Paul and her ex, Dakota Mortensen, earlier this week. Shortly after we published the video, ABC canceled the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette."

Cinnabon, Meta, and other companies have cut ties with TFP as well.

Chuck Norris has died, and fans are devastated ... but they have one more film to be excited about from the Hollywood legend.

Shaked Berenson, producer of “Zombie Plane,” tells TMZ … Chuck plays the head of a spy agency made up of celebs in the tongue-in-cheek action flick. There are a ton of cameos, and it's meant to poke fun at their personas.

Chuck's part was shot a year and a half ago at his Texas ranch .... Shaked told us they needed a ranch for the scene, and Chuck had one -- so it worked out perfectly.