DALLAS -- Wesley Matthews has taken greater responsibility with Dirk Nowitzki out of the Dallas Mavericks lineup much of this season.Matthews scored 20 of his 26 points in the second half of Dallas 107-82 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.Matthews was the star of the game, obviously, Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. He is our leader right now with Dirk out. He really sets the tone for us in the locker room and on the floor. He is just the vocal guy.Matthews has accepted the expanded role as Nowitzki has been limited to five games by a strained right Achilles tendon.I feel like thats one of the reasons why they brought me over here (from Portland). Through this rough patch, injuries and everything, everybody had to mold together. Its almost like we had to restructure ourselves. I think everybody has embraced that.Harrison Barnes scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half to help Dallas improve to 4-15.Chicago was coming off a 111-105 victory over defending champion Cleveland on Friday night.Jimmy Butler led Chicago with 26 points.I dont think anybody played well tonight, Butler said. We didnt play with energy on either end of the floor.Barnes powered the Mavericks to a 17-point first-quarter lead with eight points.They came out and threw the first punch and kept throwing, and we could just never recover from that, Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg said. We did expend a lot of energy (Friday) night.Dwight Powell (17) and rookie Dorian Finney-Smith (11) had career highs in scoring, and Deron Williams had a season-high 15 assists with only one turnover.The biggest thing was we were even (43-43) on the boards, Carlisle said. Andrew Bogut had a game-high 11 rebounds, and Powell grabbed eight.Neither team scored in the first 2:15, but Dallas went on a 7-0 run over the next 1:20. The Mavericks led 23-6 with 3:17 left. The quarter ended with Dallas leading 29-18. Bogut had six points and eight rebounds.Chicago pulled within six points three times in the second quarter, but Dallas finished the first half with a 57-45 lead. In the third quarter, Matthews had 14 points, and the Maverick led by as many as 21 points.TIP-INSBulls: C Robin Lopez has a career-high 11 straight games with 10 or more points. He scored 15 against Dallas. ... F Jimmy Butler has reached 20 points in 17 of 19 games. He scored on a drive with 1:00 left in the third quarter, but was charged with a technical foul for arguing that he had been fouled.Mavericks: G Wesley Matthews made 7 of 11 3-point attempts. ... C Andrew Bogut fouled out, but had 11 rebounds and a season-high eight points. ... The Mavericks 29 first-quarter points were a season high. ... Their largest margin of victory before Saturday was 12 points.WADE RESTSBulls G Dwyane Wade missed his second game this season, both to rest. He stayed in Chicago after Fridays win over Cleveland. Their flight landed in the DFW Metroplex at 2:30 a.m. for the second game in a stretch of four games in five days. Nikola Mirotic started in Wades place and was scoreless in 13 minutes played.NOWITZKI INDEFINITEThe Mavericks said that they no longer will keep a timetable for when F Dirk Nowitzki (strained right Achilles tendon) would play. Instead, his return will be listed as indefinite. He has played in only five games this season.We said Im still a few games away, but luck can change, so I just have to go day by day, Nowitzki said.At this stage in my career, I dont move well anyways, so if Im out there at like 80, 90 percent, I dont think Im a big help, so I want to make sure my bodys responding the right way and well go from there.UP NEXTBulls: Return home to play Portland on Monday night. Chicago won at Portland 113-88 behind Jimmy Butlers 27 points on Nov. 15.Mavericks: Host Charlotte on Monday night in the second game of a four-game homestand. Dallas lost to the Hornets on the road Thursday night. Custom Boston Red Sox Jerseys . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Wade Boggs Jersey . Each of Houstons starters scored in double figures as the Rockets improved to 2-0 against the Spurs this season, with both victories coming on the road. They also moved within 3 1/2 games of San Antonio (22-7) for the lead the Southwest Division. http://www.theredsoxteamshop.com/Red-Sox-Steven-Wright-Kids-Jersey/ . -- James Young couldnt wait to apply those tweaks to his jump shot, and the first one he made against UT Arlington told him it could be a good night. Carl Yastrzemski Jersey . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. Roger Clemens Jersey . Anthony Calvillo, through 20 CFL seasons, was frequently invincible and largely stoic in the heat of competition. But underneath the professional exterior he was, and is, compellingly human. Its time to perform a head-to-toe gear check. Having an arsenal of gear that keeps you comfortable while training for and running a marathon is critical. Heres the bottom line: You know youve picked the right gear when you dont even have to think about it. It might take trying different brands, fabrics and features, but once you find your favorites, it makes getting out of bed to run that much more exciting. The only thing on your mind should be the next stride, the next 100 yards, the next mile, not if your clothes are riding up or chaffing you.In this weeks blog, Ill give you my tips and tricks for picking the right gear for you.ShoesMany people think this is the only piece of gear you need. Its definitely not the only thing, but it may be the most important. And finding the right running shoe is vital. Running companies make their shoes differently, from varying types of support (think, high or low arches, more or less cushion, etc.) to assorted colors.Now, Im not an expert and cant tell you exactly what type of shoe will work best for you. But my best advice is to find one or two pairs that you like, regardless of the brand, and rotate using them.Rotation, I believe, is important because it allows your shoes to last longer. For the first couple of months of my training, I use two different pairs of shoes. Then, in the last two months of training, I buy the pair I will race in and put them in the rotation to break them in. Most running stores and experts recommend replacing your running shoes every 300 to 500 miles. For me, that distance falls about every four months, but I can stretch that time by rotating and not wearing the same shoe every day.ClothesMake sure the rest of your body, aside from your feet, is comfortable. And the key to clothing is testing out what feels the best.While training, I like to try out plenty of different outfits, including the underwear and sports bra, that I could potentially wear on race day. This helps me figure out what shorts or leggings wont ride up so I can feel confident going into the race. I like to test sleeveless, short-sleeve and long-sleeve shirts, as well as short spandex, shorts and leggings. I never like to race in anything I havent previously worn.I recommend testing completely new gear during easy runs. You should also try out potential race clothes during runs of substance, such as long, tempo and strength runs, because those simulate race conditions.Its important to remember that its not about how you look, its about how you feel. Still ...I like to wearr a lot of color.dddddddddddd For example, my compression socks, which help keep my shin splints at bay, are pink. But its not all aesthetic! Bright clothes -- especially those with reflective features -- help cars see me as I run against traffic. Better to be bright and be seen, than unseen and potentially in a dangerous situation.OtherGear is more than the clothing you put on your body. It can also include how you track your run, fuel your body and recover.I use a Garmin Forerunner 235 GPS tracking watch. I really like how easy it is to read its face while I run. It also has a heart rate monitor I can use to judge my pacing.Hydrating during a run is often overlooked, but its critical for me during these summer months (and year-round, for that matter). After using a hydration belt for the first part of the year, I invested in a hydration backpack -- and it has been my saving grace. I used to fumble with a bottle and worry about the belt, but without that struggle, my long runs have been much better. Again, everyone is different and its all about testing different methods and products to find what fits you.And the best piece of recovery equipment I own is a foam roller. Using it is certainly painful in the moment, but afterwards, you feel like youve given yourself a personal massage.And finally, Im unfortunately training for the New York marathon during the hot, humid and sticky summer -- personally my least favorite season in which to run. In fact, this is what I like to call high chaffing season. As a person who doesnt have a thigh gap -- but who would like to stay cool during my runs -- a product called Body Glide is my best friend. Body Glide goes on like a deodorant and helps prevent rubbing from your skin or clothes.So remember: Test things out, make sure they work for you, then -- forget about them! Happy gear hunting!!Training Notebook:Longest run: 13.1 miles (Bristol Half Marathon on Aug. 14) Hardest run: Bristol Half Marathon -- miles 7.5 to 10.5 are straight uphill Highest weekly mileage: 41 miles Biggest accomplishment: Bristol Half Marathon -- this is the second year I ran this race and I placed third in my age groupMegan Flood is a seven-time marathoner and half marathoner. She is on a quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon and hopes New York 2016 is her ticket to Boston. You can follow her progress every other week here on espnW.com and on Twitter @meganflood11. ' ' '