Pelicans blow out Rockets behind steals and role players: 3 takeaways

Jaxson Hayes brought the energy for the New Orleans Pelicans

Jaxson Hayes had one of his best games of the season, scoring 21 points and adding six rebounds, two steals and a block.

I’ve said that Hayes could be the X-Factor for the Pelicans, as he gives them potential mismatches and can be tough to handle when he is playing smart with high energy, which he was yesterday against Houston.

When Hayes is blocking shots, active on defense and getting out in transition, he can be a handful, as few bigs can match his athleticism.

He also gets the crowd going with his electrifying dunks, including that between the legs run out which has to be in the running for dunk of the year.

When Hayes is playing well and running the floor, the Pels are a hard team to stop, and they will need him to continue to bring that same energy night after night as they try to weather these injuries.

It won’t get any easier for New Orleans, who will welcome the first-place Suns on Tuesday, hopefully with CJ McCollum back on the floor.