NEW YORK CITY – Shots fell short, and the attempted tip-ins dodged the cylinder.

By the time San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama reached the free-throw line with 28.3 ticks left in the third quarter, he’d experienced the emotional gamut in his Madison Square Garden debut.

“O-ver-rated,” fans chanted.

“O-ver-rated.”

This, even after the sellout crowd of 19,812 roared in excitement Wednesday for the 19-year-old during player introductions.

Welcome to New York, where the Knicks drilled the Spurs 126-105.

Here are five takeaways from the matchup.

1. Wembanyama: MSG ‘not as big as I expected’

Wembanyama scanned his surroundings, then paused. He’d just finished morning shootaround in one of the world’s most famous sporting venues.

“Definitely incredible,” he said. “It’s not as big as I expected. But still, the vibe is here.”

Wembanyama certainly played a role in bringing it later that night into a crowded arena filled with throngs of reporters following his every move.

Too bad Wembanyama started as cold as the winds whipping across the Hudson.

He connected on 4-of-14 shots for 14 points with nine rebounds and finished a team-worst minus-25.

The rookie missed his first five attempts, hoisting two airballs along the way. He scored two points over the first two quarters, pouring in most of his points (eight) in the fourth.

The 19-year-old wouldn’t connect on his first field goal until 3:18 remained in the third quarter.

Wembanyama mentioned the Knicks defended him differently than opponents did in his previous seven outings with physicality serving as a hallmark.

“We did have a rough start, collectively,” he said. “I think no matter how many times I’ll play here, it will always be special.”

A large media presence was on hand to get a glimpse of the Spurs’ star rookie.

2. Just throw the ball up to Wemby

That’s the sentiment Gregg Popovich continues to relay to the young Spurs.

Yet San Antonio strayed from that against the Knicks’ swarming defense.

Wembanyama’s new teammates “did a really good job in the summer and preseason,” of finding the rookie on lob passes, the coach said. But since the start of the regular season, Popovich said, “it’s kind of fallen off.”

The coach reiterated to the team recently the tremendous advantage it possesses in a player who can catch passes that opponents are unable to reach.

Furthermore, given the frequency teams now switch defensively, Popovich stressed to his club that Wembanyama should see plenty of mismatches.

“A lot of it depends on his teammates’ awareness of what he’s doing,” he said. “It’s not necessarily a drawn-up play. A lot of it is just random. But being aware of where he is and if there’s a mismatch is where we try to take advantage.”

That never happened against the Knicks.

Interestingly, reserve shooting guard Malaki Branham hauled in the only San Antonio lob on the night for a layup.

3. Devin Vassell returns

Devin Vassell participated in a rigorous workout Wednesday morning and showed enough progress to return after missing the two previous contests.

That’s encouraging news for the Spurs.

Throughout the 23-year-old’s two-game absence, it’s become apparent San Antonio needs the shooting guard on the floor to fully optimize Wembanyama’s vast arsenal. Popovich wants Vassell to serve as a go-to scorer.

Outside of the French phenom, he’s the team’s most lethal points producer, flashing the ability to fill it up on all three levels like his 19-year-old teammate.

Such a skill set does wonders for San Antonio’s spacing.

But we couldn’t tell against the Knicks with the Spurs sputtering to a horrid start.

Branham took Vassell’s place in the starting lineup. But the latter checked in with 5:44 left in the first quarter, draining his first shot a little more than two minutes later as San Antonio trailed 25-12. Vassell contributed four points in 12 minutes.

Popovich said he “didn’t want to push it” with Vassell due to the fickle nature of groin injuries.

Vassell played halfcourt four-on-four earlier that morning (in addition to running sprints) and working through several individual stretching and rehabilitation routines to test the groin injury.

4. Coaching staff still learning about Wemby

Popovich admitted that Wembanyama’s unique skill set conjures several ideas for how the Spurs might play in the future. But the organization remains committed to studying exactly how the rookie fits before making any decisions.

Throughout the process, Popovich mentioned he’s learned recently that Wembanyama prefers the block on one side of the floor more than the other.

“And it’s the opposite of what you would think,” Popovich said. “So, we need to observe him for a while and see where he actually performs best. We’re not putting him in situations until we know where he’s most comfortable and where he reacts the best.”

5. Loss doesn’t dampen Spurs’ MSG experience

The morning after a night on the town highlighted by team dinner at a French restaurant, Popovich and the Spurs strolled past a couple of small crowds gathered near Madison Square Garden on the way to shootaround.

“I said, ‘You guys are now in the best arena to play basketball that you’ll ever be in,’” Popovich said.

Nothing changed for the coach even after San Antonio’s third consecutive loss.

“Maybe it’s just the history,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot in my years, as far back as I can remember, even as a kid. I got to see Dick Barnett tonight, and Walt [Clyde Frazier] was sitting across the court. The fans are great. The way things are set up, it’s iconic.”

Former Knicks Latrell Sprewell, John Starks, Carmelo Anthony and Marcus Camby all attended Wednesday’s game. Sprewell walked through the concourse before the game hugging Knicks fans and taking selfies with them.

“There’s nothing like the Garden,” Spurs guard Tre Jones said after the game. “I love the atmosphere here and love playing here. It’s my favorite arena in the entire world.”

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