By virtue of their roles, superstars and key contributors tend to provide the lasting moments in an NBA postseason.

Once in a while, though, a role player steals the spotlight.

The last 20 years of the playoffs have featured these surprises in many forms. From Calvin Booth to Derek Fisher, clutch shots were made, while Leon Powe and Josh Smith will be remembered for remarkable single-game performances. Nate Robinson and Boris Diaw are among the players with shockingly great multigame showings.

Yes, several of those names are familiar to even a casual NBA fan. But in a pivotal moment or game, they weren't exactly the first, second or even third or fourth choice to become a hero.

The list is subjective but considers a player's impact on the success of the team, including how long it remained in postseason contention.

8. Calvin Booth, Dallas Mavericks (2001)

Calvin Booth appeared in 366 games over a 10-year career. He mostly held a backup role, averaging 12.2 minutes.

Yet he's a fixture in Dallas Mavericks history.

During the 2001 postseason, the Mavs faced the Utah Jazz in an elimination game. Utah had an 83-82 edge as the clock ticked under 15 seconds to play, and Dallas guard Michael Finley passed out of a double-team. Booth hit a go-ahead layup, and Karl Malone's miss on the opposite end sealed the Mavericks' win.

Finley ended the contest with 33 points, and Juwan Howard (19) and Dirk Nowitzki (18) had respectable showings. Booth, however, scored two of his three points at the perfect moment.

7. Nate Robinson, Chicago Bulls (2013)

Since it happened in the opening round, this explosion isn't exactly legendary. Yet as far as individual performances go, there are few more impressive than Nate Robinson for the Chicago Bulls against the Brooklyn Nets in the 2013 playoffs.

After scoring just seven points in Game 3, Robinson popped off for 34 in Game 4. And he saved them for the end.

Brooklyn held a 109-95 advantage with three minutes left in regulation. Robinson—who already had 11 points in the fourth quarter—scored 12 straight and dished an assist over the next two minutes to cap the game-tying 14-0 run. The game lasted three overtimes, and Robinson netted six more points before fouling out.

Chicago won 142-134 thanks to Robinson putting up 29 of his 34 points after the third period.

6. Derek Fisher, Los Angeles Lakers (2004)

Throughout the 2000s, Derek Fisher played an important role as the starting point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. What's special about this moment isn't that Fisher came out of nowhere; rather, it's the time remaining.

Tim Duncan hit an absurd leaning fadeaway jumper with just 0.4 seconds on the clock in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals, lifting the San Antonio Spurs to a 73-72 lead. Even as a timeout allowed the Lakers to advance the ball, it seemed impossible for anyone to get a shot off in time.

Somehow, some way, Fisher did.

Lofting the ball over Manu Ginobili, Fisher splashed a 16-footer at the buzzer to give Los Angeles a 74-73 win. The victory pushed the Lakers to a 3-2 series edge, and they closed it out in Game 6, ultimately losing to the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals.

5. Josh Smith, Houston Rockets (2015)

Josh Smith never saw a shot he believed he couldn't make, and the unfortunate truth is that's what plagued his NBA career. He scored lots of points but rarely did so efficiently.

Trailing the Los Angeles Clippers 3-1 in the 2015 Western Conference Semifinals, the Houston Rockets won Game 5. They survived to see another day, but Smith had averaged 6.8 points on 32.5 percent shooting with a 16.7 long-range clip in the series.

That all changed in Game 6.

Smith keyed a 19-point comeback in the final 15 minutes—and, more precisely, helped erase a nine-point deficit in the last seven-plus minutes. During that fourth-quarter surge, Smith scored 14 of his 19 points and provided one assist, block and steal apiece.

And in Game 7, he provided 15 points to help the Rockets finish off a 3-1 comeback and eliminate the Clippers.

4. Terry Rozier, Boston Celtics (2018)

On paper, the Boston Celtics should've lost early in the 2018 playoffs. Gordon Hayward missed the entire year, and left knee surgery sidelined Kyrie Irving for the postseason. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had a combined three years of experience.

Terry Rozier stepped into the spotlight and carried Boston.

While trash-talking his way through the first round opposite the Milwaukee Bucks, he capped the seven-game series with a 26-point, nine assist performance. Rozier opened the second round with 29 points and six assists against the Philadelphia 76ers.

He hit the 20-point threshold in six postseason games—something he'd managed just seven times in the regular season.

Unfortunately for Scary Terry, his surprising playoff run ended with a dud. Rozier missed all 10 threes and went 2-of-14 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Perhaps it was a fitting end, considering his underwhelming efficiency to that point, anyway.

Still, the Celtics wouldn't have advanced that far without him.

3. Boris Diaw, San Antonio Spurs (2014)

Boris Diaw cemented himself as a fixture of San Antonio's run to the NBA Finals in both 2013 and 2014. Rebounding, court vision and versatility made Diaw an important piece of the rotation.

Scoring, however, wasn't really his thing.

Through Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Diaw had cracked double digits in just six of 17 contests. But in Game 6, he torched the Thunder for 26 points and enabled San Antonio to overcome Tony Parker's ankle injury.

During the NBA Finals, he averaged 6.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists. And the Spurs, who fell to the Miami Heat in the previous Finals, carved up Miami in five games to complete their redemption tour.

2. Leon Powe, Boston Celtics (2008)

In the offseason before the 2007-08 season, the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to form a Big Three with Paul Pierce. The playoff rotation also included Rajon Rondo and well-known veterans Sam Cassell and James Posey.

And then, there was Leon Powe.

The second-year center had a nice impact off the bench, but nobody expected Powe—who played 18 minutes during the entire Eastern Conference Finals—to become a series-changing player. Nevertheless, the Celtics took control of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Lakers because of Powe's performance in Game 2.

Powe racked up 21 points in just 15 minutes, hitting six of seven shots with a 9-of-13 mark at the free-throw line. Los Angeles, conversely, attempted only 10 free throws all night.

Boston jumped out to a 2-0 series lead and eventually won in six games. Powe totaled 12 points during the rest of the Finals.

1. Mike Miller, Miami Heat (2012)

Mike Miller spent the first decade of his career as a key scorer for unsuccessful teams. But as he neared 30 years old, the injuries started to pile up.

From 2009-10 to 2011-12, he appeared in just 134 of a possible 230 regular-season games. Although he played each game in the 2012 playoffs, Miller's role had diminished from 18.0 minutes per night through the Eastern Conference Finals to 21 total minutes in four NBA Finals games opposite the Thunder.

Miller saved his best for Game 5—a contest in which Heat coach Erik Spoelstra planned to use Miller for only four minutes.

Instead, the sharpshooter drilled seven of eight threes for a playoff career-high 23 points. Miller added five rebounds to help Miami secure a 121-106 victory, 4-1 series win and LeBron James' first-ever title.