Jeremy Lin starring as Rockets take double-digit halftime lead on Knicks

Jeremy Lin has certainly been active in his return to Madison Square Garden. The Houston Rockets point guard got off to a fast start and continued to make plays throughout the second quarter, scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting and dishing four assists to lead the Rockets to a 56-42 halftime lead.

Lin scored the first points of the game for the Rockets on a layup after cutting backdoor on Raymond Felton, and that seemed to get his game going. Facing boos when he touched the ball, Lin nevertheless scored six points and notched two assists in the first six minutes of the game. He ended up scoring 10 in the first quarter, then added six more in the second to aid the Rockets.

The Knicks did not seem thrilled with Lin's play. Midway through the second quarter, Lin drove baseline and rose to the rim, only to have Tyson Chandler clock him in the face with an elbow. Chandler was called for a flagrant foul on the play.

James Harden added 16 points of his own to pace the Rockets. J.R. Smith has a game-high 17 points for the Knicks, but only one other player has scored more than five points.