Will Barton's shooting struggles have now plagued him for three straight games and while Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone decided not to bench his starter, he made no promises when it comes to fourth quarter minutes. So Barton was benched for a second consecutive game against the San Antonio Spurs, due to a lackluster 2-of-6 shooting night that saw him scored four points and commit three turnovers in 20 minutes of play.

The agile wing, who re-signed with the Nuggets this past offseason with the condition of becoming a starter in Malone's rotation, is now a futile 7-of-25 from the floor in this series, lacking the scoring punch that once made him such a valuable piece of the Nuggets bench.

Needless to say, the 28-year-old expressed disappointment after failing to see the floor in the fourth period for a second straight game as the Nuggets took a 118-108 loss on the road.

“Disappointed,” Barton said after the game, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “Definitely disappointed, frustrated. I’m a competitor. I want to be out there in the fourth. To sit two games in the fourth, I’m not used to that. But you gotta take the good with the bad. It is what it is.”

It's hard to blame Malone for going with the hot hand, riding an inspired backcourt of Monte Morris (10 points, seven assists) and Malik Beasley (20 points, nine rebounds, 5-of-6 from deep) instead of the struggling Barton.

It is unknown if Malone will make changes, now down 2-1 in this first-round series — but something will have to change if the Nuggets hope to take control before risking elimination.