Under-fire Australian NBA star Josh Giddey scored 10 points for his Oklahoma City Thunder side in his first game since allegations of an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl were made public.
Despite calls for him to be stood down, the 21-year-old started at shooting guard, and got 26 minutes of game time in the Thunder’s 123-127 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
He made seven rebounds and eight assists.
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Both ESPN and The Athletic reported on Saturday morning (AEDT) the NBA was investigating the allegations, which emerged after photos of Giddey and the girl were circulated on social media.
Speaking to media ahead of the match, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault indicated the club had made the decision not to stand Giddey down.
“Available to play, will play, no change in status from a basketball standpoint. Still have no comment on anything else,” he said.
“Just with the information that we have at this point, that’s the decision that we’ve made, it’s really not even a decision to be honest with you.”
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As yet, there is no suggestion a formal police investigation has begun.
Daigneault was also asked if he believed the league may come over the top and stand Giddey down.
“It’s obviously a league matter at this point, so the ball is in their court on that.”
However, reaction on social media was mixed, with plenty pointing out the poor optics of allowing Giddey to play.
Thunder centre Chet Holmgren, one of Giddey’s closest friends in the squad, has deleted several social media posts featuring Giddey.
Giddey received a mild reaction when he was introduced to the home fans, and received another mild applause when he scored his first points in the opening minutes.
Meanwhile, NBA scoring leader Joel Embiid just missed what would have been Philadelphia’s first triple-double of the season with 35 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
Embiid made six free throws in the final 9.8 seconds to seal the win for the 76ers, who had a nine-point lead with 49 seconds left shrink to 125-123 after a basket by rookie Chet Holmgren with 2.5 seconds to play.
Tyrese Maxey added 28 points and eight rebounds, and Tobias Harris scored 16 points for the 76ers, who moved to 11-5, the same as the Thunder. Philadelphia rode a sizable advantage at the free throw line, making 37 of 45 attempts compared to 21 of 26 for Oklahoma City.
The Thunder’s next match will come against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday (AEDT).
— With AP