But Nicks is still refusing to publicly put finals on the agenda despite a stirring five-point victory against reigning premiers Brisbane.
The Crows booted five goals to none in the last quarter to triumph 10.8 (68) to 8.15 (63) on a sodden Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
A wayward Brisbane scored eight behinds - plus two out-on-the-fulls - in the final term.
"There was a little bit of we're on the ropes and they're swinging haymakers at us and they just couldn't quite finish us off," Nicks said.
"But I'm so proud of the group, they just held on.
"And you get lucky because you deserve it. The footy Gods work in funny ways.
"We haven't had any luck in the last three or four years. Things have gone against us, things that you just couldn't believe would.
"And we've talked the whole time: it's OK, eventually we'll get some go our way.
"And we got a little bit of luck to win that game."
Adelaide (nine wins, four losses) hold third spot and are bound for the finals for the first time since 2017.
The Crows would have reached the playoffs in 2023 if not for a goal umpire error which cost them a round 23 win over Sydney.
The AFL apologised - the first of four times in a 34-game stretch that headquarters admitted umpiring errors went against the Crows in narrow losses.
After downing Brisbane, Nicks said he would continue shunning any talk of finals and maintain a week-to-week focus.
"We have always said that we will celebrate and enjoy our wins, as I'm sure the state is at the moment," he said.
"In saying that, we have done it so well this year; we've narrowed our focus back in really quickly.
"We have a seven-day break and head to Tassie against Hawthorn, just one really tough opponent after another at the moment.
"And we've learnt the hard way over the years of losing focus on what we need to focus on.
"So there won't be a change in what we do. We'll be sticking to next week."
Asked if the victory over the Lions was the best in his tenure, Nicks replied: "Yeah, it would be up there.
"For where we're at in our build and what it is we're putting together, it's a really important win," he said.
"It probably reinforces a belief that's there.
"The way our guys set it up to start that last quarter, the footy they played, the level they went to in what were big moments - it was a really good step in the right direction."
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