Halftime Stars, Studs and Duds: Crowder finds range

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Here are the Stars, Studs and Duds from the first half, with the Celtics leading the Knicks 56-48 on Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden.  
 
STARS
 
Jae Crowder: After scoring just three points in Boston’s loss to Oklahoma City on Friday, Crowder was feeling it in the first with three consecutive 3-pointers that paved the way for Boston to take control of the game. At the half, Crowder had 11 points with nine coming in the second quarter.
 
Derrick Rose: The former league MVP wasn’t playing at that high of a level, but he certainly was the man for the Knicks in the first half with 12 points which tops all scorers thus far.
 
Isaiah Thomas: He took whatever the Knicks defense gave him, tallying 10 points in the first half which was critical to the Celtics’ first-half success.
 
STUDS
 
Al Horford: Boston’s $113 million man was delivering for the Celtics on several fronts in the first half. In addition to scoring 11 points, Horford also had four rebounds, three assists and a steal without a single turnover.
 
Kristaps Porzingis: The 7-foot-3 big man is a major problem for most teams, but the Celtics didn’t allow him to go off. He had eight points on 4-for-7 from the field.
 
DUDS
 
Carmelo Anthony: The perennial All-Star for the Knicks was a non-factor throughout the first half. He had seven points but missed six of his seven shots with the lone make coming late in the second quarter. Boston’s ability to keep him under wraps will go far towards them coming away with a victory.
 

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