China rout arch rivals S.Korea in semifinals
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-09-16 09:50

"This is the best game China has ever played against the Koreans. I don't think any team, even the US team, could hold South Korea to only two points in a quarter," said Yao, who had his 25-year-old birthday on Monday.

"Yao is the player that every team wants to have," China's head coach Jonas Kaslauskas said. "He's in good shape and he wants to play. He's the reason we could come back in the second quarter and beat them by big margin."

Lebanon, who lost to China in the second phase of the tournament by 87-73, upset Qatar in a hard-fought close match.

The teams exchanged the lead by 20 times and tied it six times with none had a double-digital lead throughout the match-up.

Point guard Rony Fahed, who had the game-high 25 points, chipped in two 3-pointers in row while Brian Feghali made another 3-point play to give Lebanon the lead for good at 78-73 with 1:30 left.

El Khatib contributed 24 points for Lebanon while Ali Turki Ali led Qatar by 17 points.

China and Lebanon had already claim the berths to next year's World Championships while Qatar had to vie South Korea, whom it beat 83-65 in the second round, for the last hope to qualify.