In one corner of the home locker room, center Jaxson Hayes described him as “the heart and soul of this team.” A few feet away, guard Jrue Holiday issued one of the best compliments a player could ever give to a teammate, saying he’s “underpaid.”
The procession of profuse praise Tuesday from the Pelicans was for power forward Kenrich Williams, who only scored eight points vs. Portland, but managed to impact New Orleans’ 115-104 win in numerous other ways. As such, it was the prototypical “Kenny Hustle” night, with the second-year pro playing relentless defense (three steals, one block), sacrificing his body (three charges drawn) and outworking everyone to keep possessions alive (three offensive rebounds, part of a season-best 13-rebound outing).