China topped Group C to enter the quarter-finals of the Asian men's basketball championship as they beat Iran 93-69 here on Thursday.

NBA sensation Yao Ming had 15 points and 10 rebounds in his 20  The hot-shot Chinese delivered another smooth game as they were 61 percent in the field and 37 percent from behind the arc.

China ran away with a margin of 34 points by the end of the third quarter. Iran cut the deficit to 87-63 with a 26-16 burst in the final quarter, but that was the closest they could go.

 Yao Ming opened the match with a dunk as China lead 26-16 in the first quarter with a 15-2 run in four minutes 25 seconds. China, which routed Chinese Taipei 121-61 on Wednesday, terrified the stiff Iranis with a 13-0 run in 2"Iran finished second in Group C, collecting two wins from three matches.

Earlier on Thursday, Lebanon beat Uzbekistan 88-60 in Group A, clinching the top finish with three straight wins. Kazakhstan tamed Hong Kong of China 86-82 to cruise into the quarter-finals with Lebanon, placing second.

Qatar outscored Japan 68-47 to top Group D with three wins. Both teams qualified for the quarter-finals.

In Group B matches, Kuwait powered past Malaysia 86-81 to settle the third place and the fourth. South Korea wore down India 121-76 to be ranked first in the group.

The Asian championship is slated for September 23-October 1 with the winner qualifying for the Olympic Games next year in Athens.

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