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pal·li·a·tive adjective \pa-lē-ā-tiv, pal-yə-\
- Tending or serving to palliate.
- Relieving or soothing the symptoms of a disease or disorder without effecting a cure.
Alabama's relatively strong showing (and tough loss) in the now-ended NIT run, is but a palliative to the deeper issues that plague the team; such as the lack of second ball-handler, a coherent offense, inside presence and inconsistency in second halves.