LOS ANGELES, Calif. - Airing things out among themselves had the desired effect for the Los Angeles Lakers. Metta World Peace hit five 3-pointers on his way to scoring 17 points and the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Utah Jazz 102-84 on Friday night, snapping a four-game skid. Coming off an 0-3 road trip during which players confronted each other last Wednesday in Memphis, the Lakers got balanced scoring and better team defence that helped them beat the Jazz for the first time in three meetings this season. Kobe Bryant suggested "our closed-door meeting that everyone seems to know about" had something to do with the victory. "Its a relief, especially against a team thats handled us pretty well," he said. "We made shots and that makes the game a lot easier. Its not about showing weve turned the corner. Its about doing it." Derrick Favours led the Jazz with 14 points off the bench. Fellow reserve Gordon Hayward scored 13 and Al Jefferson had 12. Paul Millsap and Randy Foye added 10 points each. Utah had won six of its previous seven. Dwight Howard had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Steve Nash scored 15 and Pau Gasol added 15 points off the bench for the Lakers. Bryant had 14 points, a season-high 14 assists and nine rebounds in bringing Utahs four-game winning streak to an end. "After the Memphis game, we put the past behind us," said Howard, who had vowed after the meeting that he would take a bigger defensive role. "Weve got to sustain it for the rest of the season. We have to play together and play for each other." Howard aggravated his right shoulder in the second quarter of the Lakers loss at Memphis, the same injury that caused him to miss three games two weeks ago. But he showed no ill effects from the start, scoring six points in a 15-4 spurt that opened the game and gave the Lakers the lead for good. "It feels pretty good," Howard said. "I did a lot of work before the game." Bryant moved the ball, giving his teammates a chance to score and taking some pressure off Nash, who had two assists in nearly 30 minutes. "I thought Kobe was brilliant," Nash said. "Setting the table for Dwight and getting the team going. Dwight was obviously finishing and a big presence defensively. Those are our two big guns and when they are symbiotic like that we are a special team. I know its hard to sustain, but we looked like a real good squad." The Lakers had lost 10 of their last 12 and remain seven games below .500. "Were bonding together and were communicating with each other very well," Bryant said, suggesting that last weeks confrontation was healthy for the team. "You cant just sweep things under the rug all the time. They dont get better." Utah cut its deficit to 78-69 early in the fourth before the Lakers began dominating the final 10 minutes. World Peace hit his fifth 3-pointer and Bryant scored four points during a 14-5 spurt that pushed Los Angeles lead to 92-74. The Lakers were 9 of 21 from long range. "I could tell they were the more desperate team," Hayward said. "We didnt bring it from the start and we kind of just dug ourselves a hole." The Lakers led by 12 early in the third before Utah closed to 61-58, capped by Favours alley-oop dunk off a pass from Earl Watson. The Lakers fought back from 3-point range. Chris Duhon and World Peace combined for three 3-pointers and Jodie Meeks dunked to keep them ahead 72-63 going into the fourth. Gasol and Millsap got into it verbally and received double technicals as the quarter was ending. "They got their hands on us and they got us out of our offence," Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. "They were just more aggressive." Utah closed to 47-37 at halftime. The Lakers 15-4 run to start the game was helped by World Peace and Nash combining for three 3-pointers. The Jazz quickly closed within two before the Lakers stretched their lead to 26-19. NOTES: World Peace was one 3-pointer shy of equaling his career high set on Feb. 28, 2009, against Chicago. ... Bryant finished one assist shy of his career high set on Feb. 12, 2002, against Washington. ... Utah fell to 9-16 on the road. [url=http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/richard-sherman-jersey.html]http://www... . There were plenty of handshakes and welcome-back hugs all around as the six-foot-four, 248-pound tailback returned to the Edmonton Eskimos on Thursday after being released Saturday by the NFLs Miami Dolphins. [url=http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/12th-fan-jersey.html]http://www.authen... . -- The Washington Capitals re-signed centre Jay Beagle to a three-year deal worth $2. [url=http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/marshawn-lynch-jersey.html]http://www.... . After earning their first walk-off win of the season Friday, the Astros followed it up with their first extra-inning win Saturday night. [url=http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/russell-wilson-jersey.html]http://www.... . -- Sami Aittokallio stopped 41 shots as the Lake Erie Monsters defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-1 in American Hockey League action Sunday. [url=http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/]http://www.authenticseahawksshop.com/... . Tate is expected to be out indefinitely, according to Stampeders coach John Hufnagel. The coach told TSNs Katherine Dolan that the injury is either a separation or dislocation. He will most likely fly back to Calgary to get an MRI and see the extent of the damage.HAMILTON, Ont. -- David Leggio steered his team through a barrage of shots in the first period before his teammates found their scoring touch. The Rochester goaltender made 16 of his 26 saves in the opening period, and Brian Flynn scored the game-winning goal, as the Rochester Americans defeated the Hamilton Bulldogs 4-1 in American Hockey League action on Wednesday. "We did a good job of limiting their scoring chances, but we had the lead and it was important to get out of (the first) period with it," Leggio said. "We continued to play the right way and we focused on playing a disciplined game. I think we did that, especially when we got the lead." Nick Tarnasky, Jerome Gauthier-Leduc and T.J. Brennan added goals for Rochester (8-4-1). Joonas Nattinen had the lone goal for Hamilton (4-5-2). The Americans opened the scoring early in the first after a goal-mouth scramble. Centre Rick Schofield misfired on a shot, but the puck dribbled to Tarnasky, who easily slotted it past a downed Mayer at 2:27. Hamilton allowed the first goal of the game for the ninth time in 11 contests this season. The hosts responded with a period of extended pressure following a cross-checking penalty to the visitors Alex Biega at 3:21. Bulldog winger Mike Blunden had the clearest chance of the flurry, but could only find the post with his wrist shot from the slot. The action-packed first period featured only one goal but 28 total shots and ten combined penalties. Hamilton saw the first period as a missed opportunity. "We had some chances and some good shots but their goalie shut the door on us," said Bulldogs head coach Sylvain Lefebvre. "If we score one or two goals, its a different game. But we made things tough on ourselves in the second period." Rochester doubled its advantage at 4:12 of the second, when Kevin Porter streaked down the left wing and found Flynn with a long cross-ice pass. Flynn received the puck in the high slot and beat Mayer with a wrist shot over the blocking arm. The visitors nearly scored another goal nine minutes into the period, but a scrambling Mayer was saved by a timely block from defender Antoine Corbin in the crease. Rochester found that third goal three and a haalf minutes later, when Porter cycled the puck out to Gauthier-Leduc on the blue-line and the defencemans shot bounced through traffic and past a screened Mayer at 12:35.dddddddddddd The goaltenders miserable afternoon came to an end when the Americans scored their fourth goal of the game at 15:14 of the second. The Americans made the most of a three-man rush, with Brennan slotting the puck past Mayer following a series of short passes. Mayer was removed from the game and replaced by recently signed rookie Scott Darling after allowing four goals on 22 shots. Bulldogs scored a consolation goal -- Nattinens first of the season -- at 17:35 of the third period. It was a heartbreaking moment for Leggio, who lost his shutout bid with 2:25 remaining. But the goaltender dismissed any discussion of his missed opportunity. "It would obviously be nice to have gotten the shutout, but first things first, we got the win," Leggio said. "If it wasnt for how well the guys played, I wouldnt have even been in the position to get that shutout. Ive just got to make that save, but it didnt affect the outcome of the game." The Bulldogs squandered all five of their power plays on Wednesday, and have now converted on only four of 48 man-advantages this season (8.3 per cent). Lefebvre acknowledged that his team must improve with the man-advantage, but saw encouraging evidence in Wednesdays power play performance. "We have to bear down on chances that we have and sometimes maybe we squeeze down a little too hard on the stick," he said. "But its part of the process, and were going to keep working on it." "Tonight, the power play moved the puck around and we had some shots. We just couldnt get enough rebounds." Hamilton was a perfect four-for-four on the penalty kill and extended its streak of successive kills to 17 over the past four games. Notes: Bulldogs goaltender Peter Delmas sat out Wednesdays game with an ankle injury ... Darling of the East Coast Hockey Leagues Wheeling Nailers signed a tryout contract with Hamilton on Wednesday morning ... Attendance for the 10 a.m. ET "School Game" was announced as 10,649, most of whom were young Hamilton-area students. ' ' '