DALLAS Saturday night established undeniably that the Charlotte Bobcats can’t beat anybody just by outscoring them.

You want a shootout? This is what a shootout looks like: The Dallas Mavericks shot 61 percent. They amassed 126 points. They obliterated the Bobcats by 27 points one night after the Bobcats ended a 23-game losing streak.

This was the 16th time in 16 tries the Mavericks beat the Bobcats. This one was decisive after Dallas assembled a 36-point third quarter to lead by 16. The Bobcats simply don’t have the firepower to make up a 16-point deficit in one quarter. They sure don’t have the firepower to match 126 points.

“We let them have too many points in transition,’’ said Bobcats center Brendan Haywood, who arrived from Dallas after the Mavericks waived him this summer under the NBA’s amnesty clause. “(Chris) Kaman had, what, 12 points in the third?’’

Ten, actually, and that was on 5-of-5 shooting from the guy who replaced Haywood in the middle of Dallas’s lineup. The Mavericks had a tremendous night with shooting guard O.J. Mayo scoring 30 points and point guard Darren Collison adding 18 points and 10 assists.

Even Vince Carter, a 14-year NBA veteran, looked like a kid Saturday, offering the Mavericks (2-1) 18 points off the bench.

The Bobcats (1-1) gave up so many trips to the rim that the perimeter defense got soft. That was apparent from Dallas’ 3-point shooting: 16-of-25.

“You make 16 threes and you’re not going to lose many games; it was a bit of a deodorant for some of our other transgressions,’’ said Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle.

The Bobcats had a health scare in the third quarter when co-captain Gerald Henderson left the game, limping on his left foot. X-rays showed no fracture and Henderson is listed with a sprain (plus a bloody lip). Power forward Tyrus Thomas also had to leave the game in the second half when he became ill.

There wasn’t much pleasant for the Bobcats Saturday beyond the play of backup point guard Ramon Sessions, who sure looked worthy of the two-year, $10 million contract the Bobcats gave him over the summer.

Sessions finished with 22 points, five assists and four rebounds. He was instrumental in keeping this game reasonably close at halftime (an eight-point deficit).

Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap knew going in the Mavericks’ offense was a thing of beauty.

“It was partially us getting a little fatigued, but they make you get back so well,’’ Dunlap said. “They call it their ‘flow’ offense: We show video of two or three teams (to the Bobcats for instruction). They’re one of them.’’

A Bobcats team, shooting 3-of-17 from 3-point range, wasn’t ever going to match up with all that.