House Speaker Charles McCall on Monday said he hopes to get a state budget agreement this week.

“I think we are very close,” McCall, R-Atoka said.

But the House and Senate do not have an agreement on a possible income tax cut.

McCall and Gov. Kevin Stitt have been pushing for a cut in the state’s 4.75% income tax.

The Senate, however, has been steadfastly opposed.

Earlier this year, lawmakers and Stitt eliminated the state’s portion of the sales tax on groceries.

Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, has said that was as far as his chamber was willing to go.

More: Tornadoes likely to change state budget priorities, Senate leader says

An income tax cut is one of the few sticking points left, McCall said.

“Hopefully, we will work through those,” he said.

McCall said an income tax is necessary and warranted, adding that the state has record surpluses.

“I don’t see it harming our economy at all because you are just leaving money in people’s pockets to spend,” McCall said. “And they will. It will come back to the state in sales tax dollars.”

Stitt, McCall and Treat have not met as a group to finalize things, McCall said.

How about our first real curveball of the Mark Pope era in Lexington? He threw it and the pitch landed in the form of Oklahoma State center Brandon Garrison.

On3’s Joe Tipton was the first to break the news on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-11 freshman and former McDonald’s All-American chose the Wildcats over Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, among others. He averaged 7.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game this season for the Cowboys.

Coming out of Del City (OK) High School, Garrison was considered a four-star recruit and a top 50 prospect from the class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. Beyond Burger Boy accolades, he was also the Gatorade and MaxPreps Player of the Year in Oklahoma. He originally committed to Oklahoma State over the likes of Arkansas, Kansas, LSU and Texas.

Garrison reached the 20-point threshold three times this past season: 21 against BYU, 20 against Baylor, and 20 against West Virginia. Oklahoma State went 2-1 in those contests. He recorded one double-double, which came against South Carolina State: 11 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and three blocks.

Now, he’s officially a Kentucky Wildcat — another major surprise for Pope.

Jalen Williams highlighted a 24-point performance with a back-breaking 3 with three minutes left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 97-89 on Monday night to complete a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which trailed by five in the fourth quarter before suddenly seizing control with a combination of stifling defense and opportunistic shooting.

New Orleans led 80-75 and had a chance to take what would have been the biggest lead for either team when Jose Alvarado blocked Gilgeous-Alexander and sent CJ McCollum the other way on a two-on-one break.

McCollum could not convert at the rim, however. Soon after, Chet Holmgren’s putback and Josh Giddey’s 3 tied it at 80 and ignited a decisive 18-2 run, capped by Williams’ second-chance 3, that put the Thunder up 93-82 with 3:08 left.

New Orleans, which played the entire series without star power forward Zion Williamson, never recovered.

Giddey and Holmgren each scored 14 points. Holmgren also had nine rebounds.

McCollum scored 20 for New Orleans, which continued to be plagued by poor 3-point shooting. The Pelicans hit just eight of 34 shots from deep (23.5%).

Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 13 rebounds but might have produced more had he not been limited by foul trouble to 26 minutes on the court. Naji Marshall hit half of the Pelicans’ 3s and finished with 16 points.

The Thunder held a 44-43 halftime lead in a game that was highly competitive through three quarters, with 18 lead changes and neither team leading by more than five.

New Orleans stayed close despite Brandon Ingram missing nine of his first 10 shots and 12 of 14 for the game.

Ingram’s free throws with 3 seconds left in the third quarter gave the Pelicans a 71-70 lead at the end of the period, but he finished with just eight points when more was needed of him with Williamson out of the lineup.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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