The New York Knicks find themselves on a six-game winning streak after Sunday's victory against the Los Angeles Lakers, with the team's defense firing on all cylinders after overcoming a rough four-game losing streak. While the defense has been stellar, you can't win games without scoring points.

In four of the six games during this streak, it's been Jalen Brunson leading the way in scoring, but he's received a lot of help along the way. Whether it's been OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, or Landry Shamet, someone else is stepping up nearly every night. And over the last three games, that player has been Josh Hart.

Hart might've started the season coming off the bench for the Knicks, but he's since returned to the starting lineup and been that glue guy everyone knows him to be. But recently, he's been making a difference as a scorer, with three-straight contests of 20 or more points.

Against the Lakers, Hart recorded 20 points in 36 minutes of action, shooting an efficient 8-of-11 from the field. An unusual stretch for a player who tends to pass the ball more than score, Hart shared that he understands he has to take initiative sometimes and score himself.

"Take what the defense gives us. With me, sometimes I pass open shots because I want to get these guys involved, I wanna get these guys going. I'm willing to sacrifice my own numbers for that," Hart said.

Hart's best scoring stretch of his career game during the 13 games he played with the Portland Trail Blazers after being traded during the 2021-22 season, as he averaged 19.9 points per game on 50.3% field goal shooting. Otherwise, he's been primarily used as a gadget guy, but is providing immense value during this winning streak on offense.

"But, on the flip side, I gotta make sure I'm aggressive so, to keep the defense honest. For me, it's just trying to find a balance, and I think I'm just in a good headspace right now," he added.

Flash back to Hart's time in college at Villanova, he averaged 18.7 points per game as a senior on 51.0% field goal shooting and 40.4% from three-point range. He's very much capable of being a scorer, but with players like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns alongside him, he's never really had to be.

However, if the Knicks want to make it past the Eastern Conference Finals this season, they'll need all of their players to give them everything they can get. If Giannis Antetokounmpo is off the table for New York, they'll need to prove that having depth is their key to success.