For three-quarters of the game the Nuggets were seemingly in control. In the first half, in particular, they set the tempo and did a good job getting the ball inside to Antoine Tisby and Brendon Polyblank. They led 44-38 and perhaps should have been ahead by more.
But momentum started to swing the Giants' way late in the third and by the fourth quarter the Nuggets were really struggling to find any rhythm on attack.
Josh Pace and his left-handed floaters and some great three-point shooting from Josh Bloxham saw the Giants outscore the Nuggets 28-9 in the fourth period and win the match 87-72.
''It was frustrating,'' Dickel said.
''We went away from what was working and just held the ball too much. We had a tough period at the end of the third and start of the fourth where we just gave them too much momentum.
''We just stopped doing what we had been doing in the first half and driving the ball to the basket.
''But they did a good job. They have got good players but for the most part we just didn't play quite well enough. In a game like that, all your best players have to play well or you just don't move on.
''Sometimes you don't play the way you hope you'll play. There is no point pointing the finger at what went wrong. We've just got to give ourselves enough chances to get back here [in the playoffs].
''If over a three or four-year period you come here [to the finals] every year, then the law of averages is in your favour.
''If we can get back here next year with a lot of the same players, then everyone will have a better idea of what we will need to do. That is just how it works.''
