Matt Ryan snapped a photo of his Knicks home jersey hanging in his locker Friday afternoon and immediately texted his mother, Laurie.
The Westchester native and Iona Prep product scored three points in the first five minutes in a blowout win over the Bucs in his Garden debut with his hometown team.
It was his first appearance since signing a non-guaranteed contract with the Knicks earlier this week.
Ryan, who did not come off the bench in Wednesday night's loss at Atlanta, said his mother, grandparents and two brothers will also be in attendance.
Father Richard passed away in May 2023.
“It's definitely going to be a fun night,” Ryan told the Post before the game. “I wish my dad was here, watching over me from above. No one is happier for me to come home than my mom. She's been through everything. My parents have been pushing me everywhere. My mom never missed my first game, in college or in the NBA.
“I always said if I could choose to play for one team it would be here. It's definitely special because I'm from here. It's unique and it's a blessing and I'm very lucky.”
Ryan, 27, has played in 63 NBA games with four teams, shooting 41.1 percent from 3-point range.
He wants to add that dimension to the Knicks.
With veteran guard Cam Payne out, rookie Tyler Kolek played a career-high 16 minutes and had eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, two 3-pointers, four rebounds and two assists. , recorded one steal.
Payne missed his third straight game with a hamstring injury, but Tom Thibodeau said the veteran point guard “worked harder today, so I think we're close.”
Forward Precious Achiuwa (hamstring) remains sidelined but has not yet been cleared to practice with the team, Thibodeau added.
