The New Orleans Pelicans’ newest All-Star maintains that he liked Sacramento and initially wasn’t happy the Kings traded him Sunday night, but had long been ”praying, praying, praying” for more elite talent on the roster to help him win. Cousins is the one who wound up being sent away, but to a team where he’ll join with fellow 6-foot-11 All-Star Anthony Davis.

Practicing with the Pelicans for the first time Wednesday, Cousins says the adjustment could take time, but that he and Davis can ”wreak havoc” on the NBA.

Cousins also says he’ll try to dial back his on-court disposition in hopes of avoiding technical fouls.

Davis and Cousins debut as Pelicans teammates Thursday night at home against Houston.

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The lawyer, Michael S. Lamonsoff, spoke at a news conference as the couple, Jasmine Besiso and Myrone Powell, held hands nearby a day after their federal lawsuit alleged Barnes choked and knocked Besiso unconscious before both players attacked Powell with punches and kicks inside a Manhattan nightclub on Monday.

Lamonsoff said Barnes attacked Besiso, a hairstylist, after trying to choke another woman earlier in the night. He said he hopes the other woman comes forward to authorities. He said Besiso and Powell didn’t know the players before the altercation.

He said the players were ”using their celebrity status and vast resources to distort the truth.”

In an Instagram post Monday, Barnes said: ”There’s always two sides to a story .. The side the media consistently tries to paint of me …. And what actually happened! Don’t believe everything you read.”

Attorney Alex Spiro, representing both players, said, ”We don’t believe a crime was committed, and we’re continuing to cooperate with the authorities.”

Spiro declined to comment on the lawsuit or on whether his clients had spoken to police or prosecutors. Police said earlier in the week they were looking to speak with Barnes, who had left the nightclub with Cousins before police arrived.

Lamonsoff did not specify how much money he seeks from the civil lawsuit.

The lawsuit said that Barnes choked Besiso and that Powell, her boyfriend, intervened. It said Cousins then punched Powell as Barnes knocked Besiso unconscious with his elbow.

Barnes and Cousins and others who were with them at the nightclub then punched and kicked Powell, the lawsuit said. The couple were treated at a hospital. No one was arrested.

Besiso said she was ”outraged and disgusted by what’s happened to me.” She added: ”I want the truth to come out.”

Powell, one eye swollen and bruised, said he was ”appalled” that video of the players leaving the club showed them ”boasting and gloating” about the encounter.

Besiso and Powell, a video director and photographer, live in New York.

Lamonsoff said he believed there are video recordings from inside the club, though he had not seen them. He said videotapes, witness testimony and medical records that showed serious injuries to his clients would support the lawsuit.

He said the lawsuit was filed ”to hold Barnes and Cousins accountable for their deplorable and cowardly actions.”

A year ago, Barnes was suspended for two games after he drove to the home of his now ex-wife to confront her new boyfriend, then-New York Knicks coach Derek Fisher. Fisher late wrote in an article that there was no fight but that Barnes had thrown punches.

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Milwaukee At Sacramento
When: 9:00 PM ET, Sunday, March 10, 2013
Where: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, California
TV: 9 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Wisconsin (Milwaukee), Comcast SportsNet (Sacramento)
PREDICTION: Bucks 104, Kings 95

Oddsmakers currently have the Kings listed as 1-point favorites versus the Bucks, while the game’s total is sitting at 213.

Over the last 11 games, Milwaukee’s starting backcourt tandem of Jennings and Ellis have outscored the opposing starting backcourt 451-312. Ellis is averaging 27.3 points over his last three games, and he had 17 against the Kings in December. Power forward Ersan Ilyasova, who had 16 points and a team-high 14 rebounds against Sacramento in the first meeting, could miss his second straight game with a left knee bruise suffered Wednesday against the Clippers.

In their last action, Milwaukee was a 103-93 winner on the road against the Warriors. They covered the 2.5-point spread as underdogs, while the combined score (196) was profitable news for UNDER bettors.

Milwaukee:
Team record: 31-29 SU, 28-31-1 ATS

is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 7 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of last 6 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 4 of last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento

When playing on Sunday are 5-5
Before playing Dallas are 7-3
After playing Golden State are 3-7
After a win are 5-5

Sacramento, which is in the midst of playing five of six games at home, connected on 13 3-pointers in a 121-112 win over Phoenix on Friday. The Kings have made 10 or more 3-pointers in seven of their last nine games. Forward Jason Thompson is averaging 16.3 points while shooting 67.5 percent from the field over the last four games, and forward DeMarcus Cousins snapped a mini-shooting slump by contributing 22 points and 14 rebounds against the Suns.

Sacramento won its last outing, a 121-112 result against the Suns on March 8. The Kings covered in that game as a 7.5-point favorite, while the 233 combined points took the game OVER the total.

Sacramento:
Team record: 22-42 SU, 28-35-1 ATS

The total has gone OVER in 11 of last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of last 18 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 7 games when playing Milwaukee
is 15-7 SU in its last 22 games when playing Milwaukee

When playing on Sunday are 4-6
Before playing Chicago are 4-6
After playing Phoenix are 1-9
After a win are 3-7

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