Three stars from Sunday's NBA playoff games

Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves center | 23 points, 12 rebounds   

In Game 7 against the Nuggets, Towns had a signature game. With star Anthony Edwards largely kept under wraps for most of the game, he pulled the weight on both ends of the floor and is a significant reason why Minnesota advanced to the conference finals for only the second time in franchise history. 

Towns kept the Timberwolves afloat early and led the defensive turnaround in the second half, helping quiet a Nuggets offense that had built a 20-point lead early in the third quarter. Meanwhile, offensively, he contributed a team-high 23 points, shooting 8-of-14 from the floor while pulling down 12 rebounds (10 defensive). 

In arguably the biggest game of his career, Towns helped seal the victory. With the Timberwolves up five with 45.6 seconds to go, he levied the final blow, flying out of nowhere to slam home an emphatic put-back dagger.

Jaden McDaniels, Minnesota Timberwolves forward | 23 points, six rebounds

After Sunday's improbable Game 7 comeback, Edwards told TNT that McDaniels deserved the game ball. Similar to Towns' big game, he rose to the occasion with the Timberwolves needing someone other than Edwards to make an impact. 

McDaniels picked up the slack offensively, shooting an efficient 7-of-10 from the field to finish with 23 points. Meanwhile, on the defensive end, he helped Minnesota regain its game in the second half, recording six rebounds, two steals and one block.

On the surface, McDaniels had one of the quietest 23-point games ever, especially for a Game 7. But, in the biggest game of the year, he did all the little things on both ends of the floor, which helped the Timberwolves slay the defending champs.