Josh Giddey was in the Oklahoma City Thunder starting lineup when the Lakers visited Thursday night, two days after Newport Beach police said they were conducting an investigation of allegations that the third-year NBA player had an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.

On the day authorities said they launched an inquiry into the 21-year-old Giddey, the guard played Tuesday night at Minnesota and was booed when he touched the ball. That treatment on the road is likely to continue until more is known and he’s either exonerated or suspended.

The reception was warmer in Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center in a rout of the Lakers. Giddey contributed 14 points and eight assists in the Thunder’s 133-110 victory and remains a key cog on a team with a 12-6 record and perched near the top of the Western Conference.

He was the sixth overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft without having played college basketball, and as a 19-year-old rookie was the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. Giddey is in the third year of a four-year, $27.2-million contract.

Questions about Giddey’s possible involvement with a minor emerged on the social media platform X, where pictures and videos of Giddey with a female, who is allegedly underage, circulated online during Thanksgiving weekend.

One of the images is of a shirtless Giddey standing behind the female, who is smiling. Others are of them talking and laughing into the camera outside a nightclub in Orange County.

Newport Beach police released a statement Wednesday asking the public for information related to the allegations while detectives are “pursuing all leads and evidence to obtain the facts of the case.

“The Newport Beach Police Department aims to ensure a fair and thorough investigative process while maintaining the privacy and dignity of everyone involved. At this time, NBPD Detectives are still conducting an active investigation.”

The female is a high school student in Orange County, according to a teacher who was not authorized to speak publicly and requested anonymity. The Times will not publish specific identifying information of an alleged underage victim of a sexual crime.

The age of consent in California is 18, compared to 16 in Australia and Oklahoma, the country Giddey is from and the state he plays in.

A person in the Orange County district attorney’s office who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed frustration, saying of the rampant speculation and misinformation online: “If there is a criminal prosecution, it would be difficult.”

On Friday, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault would not comment on anything about Giddey that occurred off the court, and Giddey responded to questions from reporters by saying, “I get the question, guys. I completely understand you guys want to know about it. Just for right now, I don’t have anything to say.”

Giddey spends the offseason in Orange County to train, and his agent, Daniel Moldovan, who is also Australian, lives in Newport Beach.

Playing for Australia, Giddey earned the Wanda Rising Star Award at the FIBA World Cup in September and is viewed as key to Australia’s medal chances at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Giddey’s parents were professional players. His father, Warrick Giddey, played for the Melbourne Tigers and is a coach in the Australian women’s league. His mother, Kim Giddey, played for Melbourne in the women’s league.

Giddey’s coach in Australia, Brian Goorjian, expressed support.

“It’s really out of my wheelhouse,” Goorjian told Australian reporters. “All I’ve done is messaged him and let him know the support is there. I am going to go [to the U.S.] in early December and see him face to face. I just want to let him know right now he’s got our full support.”

The NBA typically waits until law enforcement completes an investigation and files charges before it takes action. Even if no criminal or legal issues arise from the investigation, the league can suspend a player. An example is the 25-game suspension being served by Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies, and an eight-game suspension he served last season, both for brandishing a firearm on Instagram Live.